Azerbaijan considers Chechnya’s position on AZAL plane crash acceptable

Azerbaijan has deemed the position of Chechen leadership regarding the December 2024 Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) Embraer E190 plane crash acceptable, following an internal investigation that absolved Chechnya of any involvement in the incident.

On February 27, Ramzan Kadyrov, the Head of Chechnya, awarded crew members of the ill-fated flight with the medal “For Merit to the Chechen Republic.” This move initially sparked public outrage in Azerbaijan, where the crash remains a highly sensitive issue. However, a source within the Azerbaijani government, speaking to Trend, clarified that the investigation confirmed Chechnya had no role in the accident, Caliber.Az reports.

"Following the crash, the decision by Chechen authorities to honour certain individuals led to justified indignation among the Azerbaijani public. However, the investigation has shown—and Azerbaijan possesses clear evidence—that Chechnya was neither responsible for nor involved in the incident. The Russian military has been identified as the party accountable for this tragedy," the source stated.

The Azerbaijani government acknowledges that while Chechnya’s response came belatedly, it is ultimately deemed acceptable in light of the investigation's findings. The incident continues to be a subject of scrutiny, with Azerbaijan focusing on those it holds responsible for the crash.

The tragic crash of AZAL flight J2-8243 on December 25, 2024, has sparked widespread attention and ongoing investigations into the circumstances surrounding the incident. The Embraer 190-100 IGW aircraft, registered as 4K-AZ65, was en route from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny, Russia, when it crashed near Aktau Airport in Kazakhstan. The disaster resulted in the deaths of 38 individuals, including crew members and passengers, while 29 passengers survived due to the efforts of the flight crew.

The preliminary investigation, led by the Ministry of Transport of Kazakhstan, has ruled out technical malfunctions of the aircraft or its engines. However, the report highlights critical anomalies that occurred during the flight, including the loss of GPS signals over Russian airspace and unexplained external damage to the aircraft’s fuselage, stabilizers, and wings. The discovery of embedded foreign objects in the wreckage has led to further forensic analysis to determine their nature and origin.

These findings have raised serious concerns about possible external interference in the crash. The investigation remains ongoing, with Kazakhstan and other involved parties working towards a final report under the regulations of the ICAO Chicago Convention. 

By Vugar Khalilov