UK minister: London in contact with Azerbaijani, Kazakh officials in AZAL plane crash investigation

Representatives of the UK Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Stephen Doughty, are maintaining contact with officials from Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan regarding the investigation into the crash of the "Azerbaijan Airlines" (AZAL) plane.

The remarks were made by Stephen Doughty, the Minister for Europe, North America, and the Overseas Territories at the UK Foreign Office, in response to a question posed by Conservative MP Wendy Morton about the AZAL plane crash, Caliber.Az reports, citing local media.

"Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this incident, including the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives," he said.

The diplomat emphasized that London "supports Brazil, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan in ensuring a comprehensive and independent investigation into the tragedy."

"My representatives are in close contact with officials from Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan," he noted.

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, as well as to the families of the deceased passengers and crew members.

By Khagan Isayev