Six Russian survivors of AZAL plane crash discharged from hospital, health minister says

Assistant to the Russian Minister of Health, Alexey Kuznetsov, has announced that six Russians who were injured in the AZAL passenger plane crash near Aktau, Kazakhstan, have been discharged from hospitals due to an improvement in their health condition.

He said three people remain under treatment at hospitals and federal centres in Moscow, with their condition assessed as moderate, though stable, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

"Three Russians, who were injured in the crash of the Azerbaijan Airlines plane in Kazakhstan, remain in the hospitals and federal centres in Moscow. Doctors assess their condition as moderate, with a favourable prognosis," he said.

According to him, six of the injured, including a child, have been discharged from the hospitals and are now under medical supervision due to their improved health condition.

To recall, on December 25, 2024, Azerbaijan Airlines flight 8243, an Embraer 190AR, tragically crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, during an emergency landing attempt. The flight was en route from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny, Russia, and carried 67 individuals, including 62 passengers and five crew members. Among the passengers, there were 42 Azerbaijanis, 16 Russians, six Kazakhs, and three Kyrgyz nationals. The crash claimed 38 lives, while 29 survivors, including three crew members, were rescued. Of the five crew members, two tragically lost their lives, and three survived.

Preliminary investigations suggest that the aircraft was struck by a Russian surface-to-air missile during efforts to repel a Ukrainian drone attack over Chechnya.

On December 28, Russia's President Vladimir Putin made a phone call to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. Putin expressed condolences and apologised to Ilham Aliyev for the tragic incident that occurred in Russian airspace. The Azerbaijani president demanded Putin bring those responsible to justice and provide compensation to Azerbaijan, as well as to the injured passengers and the families of the deceased passengers and crew members.

By Khagan Isayev