Moscow confirms ongoing cooperation with Baku on AZAL investigation

Russia is systematically fulfilling all agreements reached with Azerbaijan following the crash of the Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) flight, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova confirmed at a briefing.

Zakharova said the matter was discussed in detail by the leaders of Russia and Azerbaijan during their meeting on October 9 last year in Dushanbe, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

"The Russian side provided extensive explanations and is consistently working to implement all agreements reached. We regularly update our Azerbaijani partners through both diplomatic channels and governmental lines,” she added.

On December 25, 2024, an Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) Embraer 190 passenger jet operating flight J2‑8243 from Baku to Grozny crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, killing 38 people and injuring 29. The aircraft, carrying 62 passengers and five crew, was diverted toward Kazakhstan after suffering critical damage over Russian airspace. 

Preliminary investigations indicate the plane was shot down by a Russian Pantsir‑S air defence system during operations targeting perceived threats in the region, and electronic warfare measures disrupted its communications, causing radar loss and forcing the diversion. An interim report confirmed external damage from weapon fragments rather than internal failure.

By Vafa Guliyeva