Russian general ordered missile strike that downed AZAL flight

A classified order by Russian General-Major Aleksandr Tolopilo led to the downing of an Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) passenger jet over Chechnya on December 25, 2024, according to a detailed minute-by-minute chronology published by Minval Politika.

The Embraer 190, flying from Baku to Grozny, was mistakenly identified as a drone after radar contact was lost during its landing approach. At 08:13 local time, a Pantsir-S air defense unit under the 51st Air Defense Division launched two missiles on Tolopilo’s direct order. Both missiles struck the civilian aircraft, killing all on board.

Sources told Minval Politika that technical issues with radar systems and attempts to conceal the incident contributed to the tragedy. The report claims General Tolopilo later gave false testimony and was quickly reassigned to a senior post in Russia’s Eastern Military District.

Russian authorities have not commented publicly. Investigative actions into the incident have reportedly stalled.

N.Tebrizli