Russia has closed the case of the downed AZAL plane: Azerbaijan's reaction.

According to ТСН: The Investigative Committee of Russia sent a letter to Azerbaijan related to the investigation of the passenger plane crash of 'Azerbaijan Airlines', which was shot down by Russian air defense over Grozny. This document surprised representatives of Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan's response

Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov stated this at a briefing. He noted:

'The letter indicated that the criminal case has already been closed. Undoubtedly, such a step raises very serious questions for us.'

Bayramov also reported that an official response from the relevant authorities of Azerbaijan was sent in reply to this letter from the Russian agency and emphasized the expectation that Russia would fulfill its obligations regarding this incident.

Condolences to the victims' families

At the briefing, he expressed condolences to the families of the deceased:

'Yesterday was the anniversary of the tragedy, I express my condolences to the families of the deceased. The fact that the plane was hit was acknowledged by the Russian side, and it was also announced that compensation would be paid. This was an important statement. We expect that this process will be brought to a conclusion.'

Details of the disaster

The Embraer 190 of 'Azerbaijan Airlines' was on flight 'Baku – Grozny' and crashed near Aktau in Kazakhstan on December 25, 2024. There were 67 people on board, 38 of whom were killed. The investigation revealed that during the approach to Grozny, the plane was attacked by the Russian air defense 'Pantsir-S', and its communication system was paralyzed due to the use of Russian electronic warfare, resulting in the aircraft disappearing from radar.

Russian acknowledgment

At a meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged that the Russian air defense system had been triggered and hit the Azerbaijani plane. Putin also assured that the Russian side would pay all due compensations and provide a legal assessment of the actions of the officials.

Absence at the summit

It is noted that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev did not participate in the informal CIS summit in St. Petersburg on December 22, although he had regularly attended such events before. According to his administration, he missed the summit due to a busy work schedule.

Protest over shelling

Recall that in November of this year, Azerbaijan expressed a protest to the Russian ambassador in connection with the shelling that damaged the Azerbaijani embassy in Kyiv when one of the Iskander missiles fell nearby.

This situation surrounding the plane crash remains tense. Azerbaijan's reaction indicates a serious attitude towards Russia's responsibility for the events that occurred. Cooperation between the countries on security and investigations is crucial for stability in the region, so monitoring the further development of this case will be necessary.