The Kremlin on Thursday warned against speculating what may have caused an Azerbaijan Airlines flight to crash, killing 38 of the 67 on board, after an aviation expert said evidence indicated that a Russian anti-missile battery may have brought down the ...

Moscow: The tragic crash of a passenger plane bound for Russia, which claimed the lives of 38 people in Kazakhstan on Wednesday, has sparked intense speculation about the possible causes of the disaster.

"No one claims that it was done on purpose," an Azerbaijan official told Reuters. They added their government "expects the Russian side to confess."

Aviation experts say that Russian air defense fire was likely responsible for the Azerbaijani plane crash the day before that killed 38 people and left all 29 survivors injured.

Early indications suggest a Russian anti-aircraft system may have downed the passenger jet that crashed in Kazakhstan on Wednesday, a US official told CNN as Azerbaijan held a day of mourning for the dozens of victims of the disaster.

There was growing speculation that an Azerbaijani airliner was shot down by Russian air defense system. Russia had initially said it believed the plane hit a flock of birds, but a U.S. official says it may have been struck by Russian air defenses.