An Azerbaijan Airlines aircraft crashed in Kazakhstan after reportedly experiencing technical issues, with preliminary investigations suggesting it may have been accidentally shot down by Russian air defense. Eyewitness accounts described a loud noise as the flight approached Grozny, Chechnya, with at least 38 fatalities and 29 survivors. Russian aviation authorities initially attributed the mishap to a bird strike, while Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated no comments would be made until an official investigation is completed.