Azerbaijan Identifies New Russian Servicemen Involved in Downing of AZAL Passenger Jet
Azerbaijani journalists have identified additional Russian servicemen allegedly involved in the downing of an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger jet near Grozny in December 2024.
The findings were published by the outlet Minval Politika, which reported that several personnel from Russia’s Southern Military District had been on duty and directly involved in the launch of the Pantsir-S1 surface-to-air missile system.
Among them were:
- Captain Dmitry Evgenievich Pudovkin, senior navigator of the combat control group at 51st Air Defence Division;
- Lieutenant Colonel Vladimir Viktorovich Yanovsky, duty officer at the headquarters of the Southern Military District;
- Colonel Gennady Nikolaevich Eremenko, duty officer at the command post of the 4th Guards Air and Air Defence Forces Army.
Previously, Minval Politika reported that the order to shoot down the AZAL flight had been given by Major General Alexander Tolopylo, commander of the 51st Air Defence Division.
According to the outlet, Tolopylo was not penalized following the incident and was instead promoted.
Lieutenant Colonel Nikolai Orlyansky, who reportedly approved the launch order, passed it to Captain Dmitry Paladychuk, commander of crew No. 274. The crew was under Tolopylo’s operational control, according to an official report dated December 16, 2024.
Following the incident, Tolopylo attempted to shift responsibility to air traffic controllers and claimed the missiles had self-destructed, an explanation later contradicted by an internal investigation.
The publication said it had obtained the personal data and contact details of the individuals involved, which had been handed over to Azerbaijani authorities leading the investigation.
Flight 8432 crash
The Embraer ERJ-190 operated by Azerbaijan Airlines declared an emergency at around 11:20 local time while en route from Baku to Grozny.
Despite the crew’s requests for an emergency landing, Russian airports denied permission, and the aircraft was instructed to continue the flight toward Aktau, Kazakhstan.
Passenger videos confirmed technical issues over the Caspian Sea. Shortly before the crash, the aircraft’s tail was reportedly hit by ground fire. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said Russian electronic warfare systems had disrupted the aircraft’s navigation.
Russian media published images of spent 57E6E missile boosters from the Pantsir-S1 system, indicating air defense activity in the area at the time.
The crash killed 38 people, including 23 Azerbaijan, 7 Russian, and 6 Kazakh nationals.
In late December, President Aliyev publicly accused Russia of responsibility for the incident.
