An investigation into the deadly crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines flight in Kazakhstan earlier this week came after the passenger plane experienced “physical and technical external interference,” the carrier said Friday.

The Kremlin has declined to state that Russian forces were responsible for downing the Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 on December 25, 2024. Russia acknowledged that its air defense systems were active at the time of the incident to shoot down Ukrainian drones but has stopped short of saying it brought down the aircraft.

Azerbaijan Airlines said Friday the passenger jet that crashed in Kazakhstan on Christmas Day experienced “physical and technical external interference,” according to an early investigation.

The extraction of flight data from the Brazilian-made Azerbaijan Airlines in Kazakhstan last month was completed at a lab run by Brazil's air force, according to a statement released by the entity on Monday.

Russia and its four flight information regions (FIRs) to a list of potentially dangerous airspaces for civilian aircraft. According to the agency, the decision aims to "ensure maximum flight safety amid the ongoing full-scale war Russia is waging against Ukraine.