‘Destroy the target’: Leaked testimony names Russian officer behind Azerbaijan Airlines shootdown
A leaked letter and audio recordings have identified the Russian air defense officer allegedly responsible for the fatal downing of Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 in December 2024.
The testimony, obtained by Azerbaijani outlet Minval, names Captain Paladichuk Dmitry Sergeevich as the officer who gave the order to fire a missile at the Embraer E190, killing 38 people.
Azerbaijan airline blames 'external interference' for plane crash https://t.co/kCi2CZQdfu
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) December 27, 2024
The revelations mark the first time a direct link has been made between an individual Russian commander and the shootdown, and raise fresh questions over why the aircraft was targeted despite indications it was a manned civilian flight.
New evidence in Azerbaijan Airlines shoot down
Azerbaijani media outlet Minval claims it received a letter containing testimonies, audio recordings and technical details regarding malfunctioning equipment relating to the 25 December crash that claimed the lives of 38 people.
Signatory to the letter is Captain Paladichuk Dmitry Sergeevich, who claims to be the commander of combat vehicle №274 which was assigned to Grozny from 24 December, 2024. At 05:40 on 25 December, his unit was ordered to transition to full combat readiness.
At 08:11, Captain Paladichuk received a communication that a target had been identified and locked onto it with radar. Shortly after, he was ordered to destroy the target, although his unit couldn’t see the object due to thick fog. They fired once, but received a report back that they had missed. They fired a second missile.
This second missile exploded near the Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer E190, showing it with shrapnel and damaging the aircraft.
Notably, the report suggests that there was at least some evidence that the object being targeted could not be a drone. According to Paladichuk’s transmissions, the speed of the target made it clear it was a manned platform and not an unmanned aircraft, raising questions about why Paladichuk was ordered to destroy it.
How credible is this new evidence?
According to The Insider, Paladichuk did indeed serve in various Russian air defence units. The outlet further notes that one of the audio recordings confirmed the letter had been written to Paladichuk’s army commander after the missile strike, as it had been requested.
The document was likely shared by Russia as part of the investigation into the incident, but the leak to the press is unusual. Escalating tensions between Russia and Azerbaijan may have contributed to it finding its way into the media.
The Insider further analysed elements such as the handwriting in the letter and the voice on the recordings, and has concluded that these communications did come from Paladichuk.
⚡️BREAKING: Sources in the Azerbaijani government confirm that an Azerbaijan Airlines plane was shot down by a Russian missile — Euronews.
— UNITED24 Media (@United24media) December 26, 2024
Despite emergency landing requests, Russia denied permission, and the plane crashed in Kazakhstan, killing 38. pic.twitter.com/V9WL9HcnrN
While it has long been understood that the crash was caused by a Russian missile, this is the first time the identity of the commander who gave the order has been revealed. Crucially, the testimony raises new questions about why the order was given despite signs the aircraft was not a drone.
The investigation into the accident is ongoing. Kazakhstan’s Transport Ministry has indicated that the final investigation report into the crash of Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 is expected to be completed within one year of the incident, meaning a December 2025 release, based on International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards.
