Russian air defence officer confirms missile strike on AZAL aircraft during Grozny drone alert

Azerbaijani media outlets have released the full explanatory statement of Russian Air Defence Captain Dmitry Paladichuk, confirming that he received and relayed a direct order to fire upon a target later identified as AZAL flight J2-8243.

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The passenger aircraft, an Embraer 190AR, was downed on 25 December 2024 near Aktau, Kazakhstan, resulting in the deaths of 38 people.

The leaked statement, addressed to Paladichuk’s commanding officers, details a step-by-step account of the events leading up to the missile launches. According to the document, Captain Paladichuk was on active duty in Grozny when a “potential target” was detected by radar. Due to heavy fog, visual identification was impossible, but the object was tracked with precision by radar systems and reported to the 51st division’s command post.

Coordinates provided in the report indicate the object was travelling at a speed and altitude inconsistent with known drone capabilities. Despite this, Paladichuk received a phone call instructing him to destroy the target. He gave the order to fire, and after the first missile missed, a second was launched.

“At 08:13, I reported updated coordinates: azimuth 338°, range 7000 m, altitude 490 m, speed 118 m/s. I was instructed by phone to destroy the target,” Paladichuk’s statement reads. “Due to very dense fog, the target was not visible optically. At 08:13:30, I gave the order to engage.”

The second missile is believed to have struck the AZAL aircraft as it attempted an emergency landing near Aktau. The statement has been verified for authenticity by independent investigators, including The Insider, which confirmed Paladichuk’s voice and handwriting in related materials. A phone recording from the same day captures him acknowledging the explanatory note was submitted “after the missile strike on the plane” as requested by military superiors.

The revelation marks the first time the name of the officer who executed the order has been made public. While suspicions about a missile strike had circulated since December, this is the clearest confirmation to date linking the crash to a Russian air defence unit.

The publication comes at a time of heightened diplomatic tensions between Baku and Moscow. Following the June 27 detention of over 50 Azerbaijani nationals in Yekaterinburg, reportedly in connection with decades-old murder cases, Azerbaijan halted all Russian cultural events in the country and accused Russia of ethnically motivated violence. Russia, in turn, issued a diplomatic protest, which was met with a reciprocal note from the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The incident has further strained bilateral relations and raised broader concerns over regional security, military coordination, and civilian air traffic safety during periods of elevated alert.

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