Azerbaijan’s flag carrier has announced the suspension of flights to several Russian airports, citing potential flight safety risks following a crash of one of its planes that many experts have blamed on Russian air defense fire.

Kazakhstan's transport minister said Russian authorities told them that an oxygen cylinder had exploded in the passenger cabin of the aircraft.

Authorities in Kazakhstan are investigating the cause of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash in the country, which killed 38 people and injured 29 others on Christmas Day. The big picture: Flight J2-8243 was diverted while en route from Baku,