An Azerbaijan Airlines flight en route from Baku to Grozny, Chechnya, crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, on Wednesday, killing 38 of the 67 passengers aboard. The airline attributed the crash to “physical and technical external interference.”

A rescuer examines the debris of the Azerbaijan Airlines flight near Aktau Airport in Kazakhstan.

A U.S. official and Matthew Borie of Osprey Flight Solutions suggested the flight may have been struck by a Russian anti-aircraft system during an attempt to repel Ukrainian drones in the region. The Kremlin urged caution regarding speculation, citing dense fog and limited visibility near Grozny, where the flight initially attempted to land. After two failed attempts, the pilot diverted to Kazakhstan before the crash occurred.

In response, Azerbaijan Airlines suspended flights from Baku to Grozny, Makhachkala, and five other Russian destinations, pending the outcome of the investigation. Rosaviatsia, Russia’s aviation authority, noted heightened activity of Ukrainian drones near Grozny as part of the complex conditions surrounding the incident.