After an Azerbaijan Airlines jet crashed in Kazakhstan, speculation mounted about why the plane went down and whether possible Russian air defense action may have played a role.

The preliminary results of Azerbaijan’s investigation into the deadly crash of a civilian airliner point to the plane being hit by a Russian antiaircraft missile, or shrapnel from it, said people briefed on the probe.

Russian air defenses, rather than a bird strike, likely caused the downing of an Azerbaijan Airlines flight, killing 38 people.

A day after an Azerbaijani airliner’s crashed in Kazakhstan, aviation experts say the plane most likely went down after being hit by Russian air defense systems.

An Azerbaijani airliner has crashed in Kazakhstan after being diverted, killing 38 of 67 people on board. Some things to know about the crash and the speculation about a possible cause: How did the plane crash?

An Azerbaijan Airlines passenger aircraft crashed near Kazakhstan's Aktau Airport close to the Caspian Sea on Wednesday morning.

Dramatic video shows an Azerbaijan Airlines plane hitting the ground and bursting into flames near the city of Aktau in southwestern Kazakhstan. Dozens of passengers were killed, but video from the crash site also shows some of the survivors were able to walk away from the wreckage.

The Russian Emergency Ministry evacuated survivors of a plane crash in Kazakhstan on Wednesday. Nine Russian nationals, including one child, were brought from Aktau to Moscow by a special flight.