EL AL Israel Airlines Halts Flights Following Kazakhstan Plane Crash Linked to Russian Missile

Israeli airline El Al has temporarily halted flights between Tel Aviv and Moscow, citing concerns about recent developments in Russian airspace, according to a statement from the airline’s press service on December 26.

"In light of events in Russian airspace, El Al is suspending all flights on the Tel Aviv–Moscow route for the coming week," the statement noted.

Media sources have suggested the possibility that the plane was struck by a Russian Pantsir air defense missile in the Grozny region.

Kazakhstani authorities have stated that Russia and Azerbaijan have not yet provided their official accounts of the incident.

On December 25, a Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 crashed in western Kazakhstan, claiming 38 lives, including the pilots. The next day, sources within the Azerbaijani government confirmed that the aircraft was shot down by a Russian anti-aircraft missile.

On December 26, it was reported that Azerbaijani aircraft communication systems were completely paralyzed due to Russian electronic warfare (EW) systems, leaving it effectively blind and causing it to disappear from radar over Russian airspace.