Anniversary of AZAL plane crash: Azerbaijan, Kazakh PMs exchange condolences

Today, December 25, the prime ministers of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, Ali Asadov and Olzhas Bektenov, exchanged condolences on the first anniversary of the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) passenger plane, operating the Baku–Grozny flight, near the city of Aktau.

During the call, Asadov expressed his gratitude to the government and people of fraternal Kazakhstan for their comprehensive support during those tragic days, Caliber.Az reports, citing the Azerbaijani Cabinet of Ministers.

The heads of government also extended their condolences to each other, to the families and loved ones of the victims, as well as to the peoples of both countries.

On December 25, 2024, AZAL Flight 8243, an Embraer 190AR operating from Baku to Grozny, crashed near the city of Aktau in western Kazakhstan during an emergency landing attempt. There were 67 people on board — 62 passengers and five crew members. The crash claimed 38 lives, including three crew members, while 29 people survived, among them three children.

The passengers included citizens of Azerbaijan, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, making the tragedy an international one that deeply affected Azerbaijani society.

Preliminary findings of the investigation, led by Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Transport, ruled out technical malfunctions of the aircraft or its engines. Instead, investigators identified a series of critical anomalies: the loss of GPS signals over Russian airspace, serious external damage to the fuselage, stabilisers, and wings, and the presence of foreign objects embedded in the wreckage. These findings pointed to external interference rather than an internal systems failure.

Subsequent assessments indicated that the aircraft was struck by a Russian Pantsir-S1 air defence missile amid Russian air defence activity aimed at countering a Ukrainian drone attack over Chechnya. Investigators also concluded that electronic warfare systems had disrupted the aircraft’s navigation, significantly complicating the crew’s ability to control the plane after it was damaged.

The aircraft’s black boxes were decoded in Brazil on January 7, 2025, and a preliminary report was published by Kazakhstan on February 4, providing a detailed timeline of events and photographic evidence of the damage. Two parallel investigations were launched: a criminal probe coordinated between Kazakh and Russian authorities, and a technical investigation by Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Transport, which is now nearing completion.

On October 9, 2025, Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged the incident in talks with President Ilham Aliyev, stating that Russia would conduct a legal assessment of the actions of all officials involved and provide compensation. He attributed the tragedy to a combination of factors, including drone activity, air defence system failures, and human error, signalling Moscow’s intention not to leave the matter unresolved.

By Khagan Isayev