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It had been reported the plane came under fire from Russian air defence systems as it tried to land in Chechnya - forcing it to divert across the Caspian Sea.

The plane is thought to have come under fire from Russian air defence systems as it tried to land in Chechnya before being diverted across the Caspian Sea to Kazakhstan, where it crashed.

The flight, which had originated in Azerbaijan’s capital, Baku, crashed in Kazakhstan, across the Caspian Sea from Chechnya.

It remains unclear why it was diverted over the Caspian Sea - a far longer journey than several other options.

The plane had originally tried to land at Grozny airport in southern Russia, but witnesses have spoken of an explosion before it was diverted across the Caspian Sea to Kazakhstan.