Interim findings: AZAL passenger jet was shot down, not lost to technical failure

The Azerbaijani side has circulated information about a preliminary statement issued by Kazakhstan to mark the anniversary of the crash of an aircraft operated by AZAL, Azerbaijan’s leading carrier.

According to Azertag, the statement confirms that the investigation into the crash of the Embraer 190-100 IGW passenger aircraft is ongoing and is being conducted in accordance with Annex 13 to the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation.

The investigation is being led by Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Transport with the participation of representatives from the International Civil Aviation Organisation, as well as Azerbaijan, Brazil, and Russia. In parallel with this process, law enforcement authorities in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Russia are also conducting criminal investigations into the incident within their respective jurisdictions.

In line with the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organisation, Kazakhstan published a preliminary report on February 4 of this year. That document reflected only established factual information and did not include any analysis or conclusions.

It was not possible to complete the final report — which is required to contain the full results of the investigation carried out under the Chicago Convention — by the anniversary of the crash. For this reason, Kazakhstan released an interim statement to the public in accordance with International Civil Aviation Organisation procedures.

The interim statement underscores that the aircraft’s oxygen cylinders were not damaged, thereby ruling out the possibility of an internal explosion. It also states that foreign metal objects found among the wreckage—identified as fragments of an explosive device that damaged the aircraft—were linked to a weapons system. At the same time, the interim document does not specify the model of that weapons system. It is recalled that the affiliation of this weapons system with the air defence forces of Russia’s Ministry of Defence had previously been noted in a political statement by the Russian president.

At the next stage, the Kazakh authorities are expected to present the public with the final report, which will reflect the results of the completed investigation. Unlike the interim statement, the final report is expected to be more comprehensive, incorporating all factual findings, an analysis of the causes of the crash, and recommendations aimed at preventing similar incidents in the future.

By Tamilla Hasanova