Embraer crash in Kazakhstan – Cause and Russian missile speculation | RBC-Ukraine https://t.co/p1IjPmeeTJ. Ukrainian defense portal Defence Express notes that before the crash, drones were being shot down, likely with the help of the Pantsir air defense system. It is possible that the system mistook the passenger aircraft for a drone, as it can operate automatically. Therefore, the system could have failed to distinguish between the two targets.