Translated with AI
Russia and Azerbaijan announced they have reached an agreement to resolve the aftermath of the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) flight near the Kazakh city of Aktau. This was stated in a joint statement by the two countries' foreign ministries. The corresponding news was posted on the Russian Foreign Ministry's website.
The document notes that the parties have reached an agreed-upon solution, including the issue of compensation payments. The corresponding agreements were reached by the presidents of Russia and Azerbaijan during their meeting in Dushanbe on October 9, 2025.
The statement also stated that the crash occurred as a result of "an unintentional action by the air defense system in the airspace of the Russian Federation."
The parties emphasized that the steps taken demonstrate a mutual desire to develop cooperation and strengthen allied relations based on trust and consideration of each other's interests. The statement also expressed condolences to the families of the victims.
The crash of an AZAL Embraer 190 occurred on December 25, 2024. The aircraft was en route from Baku to Grozny but failed to land in the capital of Chechnya. The plane then diverted to Aktau, Kazakhstan, sending a distress signal and crashed three kilometers from the airport.
The disaster killed 38 of the 67 people on board. Among the dead were citizens of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Russia.
Following the incident, various theories were considered regarding the cause of the crash, ranging from a bird strike to external impact. In late December 2024, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stated that the aircraft had been damaged by electronic warfare systems and that its tail section had also sustained serious damage from ground fire.
To investigate the crash, a special commission was created under the Ministry of Transport of Kazakhstan, including specialists from Azerbaijan, Russia, and the aircraft manufacturer, Embraer.
In February 2025, a preliminary report was published, which did not provide definitive conclusions regarding the cause of the crash. The document noted the presence of holes in the aircraft's fuselage and the discovery of foreign metal objects, which were sent for examination.
A later interim report noted that the aircraft may have been damaged by warhead fragments, but their origin could not be determined.
