UK Embassy in Baku pays condolences to families of AZAL crash victims PHOTO

The British Embassy in Baku has expressed condolences on the anniversary of the Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) plane crash of flight J2-8243 from Baku to Grozny.

“Today we remember the victims of Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243. Al of us at the British Embassy in Baku stand with all those affected. Our thoughts remain with the families, survivors, and communities touched by this tragedy,” reads the Embassy's post on X, cited as saying by Caliber.Az.  

On December 25, 2024, an Embraer 190 aircraft of Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL), operating flight J2-8243 from Baku to Grozny, crashed 3 km from Aktau, Kazakhstan. Preliminary investigations indicate that the plane was hit by a Russian Pantsir-S air defence system while approaching Grozny.

There were 67 people on board—62 passengers and five crew members—including 42 Azerbaijani citizens (37 passengers, five crew), 16 Russians, six Kazakh citizens, and three Kyrgyz citizens. The crash claimed 38 lives, while 29 survived. Among the deceased were the aircraft commander Igor Kshnyakin, co-pilot Aleksandr Kalyaninov, and flight attendant Khokuma Aliyeva.

By Khagan Isayev