On July 1, Azerbaijani news outlet Minval released an official memorandum directed at Russian officer Dmitry Paladichuk, identifying him as the individual who authorized the attack on an AZAL passenger aircraft in Chechnya during December 2024. The Insider's investigation suggests the document appears genuine.
According to the memorandum, on December 25 at dawn amid a drone operation targeting Grozny, Paladichuk identified an obscured "potential target" in foggy conditions. He communicated this sighting along with the object's coordinates and velocity to the command center of the 51st Division. After receiving authorization to engage, Paladichuk instructed the operator to fire. When the initial missile missed, he ordered a second strike attempt.