Azerbaijan Airlines plane ‘likely shot down by Russian air defences’

An Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed on Christmas Day was “likely shot down by a Russian military air defence system,” a UK-based aviation security firm has said.

The crash immediately prompted speculation that the aircraft was shot down by Russia after it took a detour of hundreds of miles in the wrong direction and crash-landed with holes in the fuselage.

Russian military bloggers have suggested the plane, which crashed near the Kazakhstan city of Aktau, could have been mistaken for a Ukrainian drone.

The incident, which killed at least 38 people and injured a further 29, took place after a significant detour, which could have been caused by GPS jamming.