Azerbaijan Airlines flight J2-8243 caught fire as it tried to make an emergency landing in Aktau, southwestern Kazakhstan, on Wednesday. It was traveling from the Azeri capital Baku to Grozny, the capital of the Russian republic of Chechnya.

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.

U.S. officials say Russia could be behind a passenger plane crash in Kazakhstan that left dozens dead on Christmas Day. U.S. officials say it looks like the plane was hit by a Russian air defense system,