Hajiyev: Azerbaijan receives Russia's responses on downing of Azal airliner

Azerbaijan has received answers from Russia in Dushanbe regarding the downing of the AZAL airliner over Grozny in December 2024, Azernews reports.

Hikmet Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan and Head of the Department of Foreign Policy Affairs of the Presidential Administration, told EU Today and a group of journalists in Brussels that “certain misunderstandings” and “emotions” arose immediately after the incident, but Baku’s concerns were addressed at the subsequent meeting of the leaders of Azerbaijan and Russia in Dushanbe.

“Azerbaijan was expecting an official apology from Russia for the downing of the AZAL airliner, a thorough investigation, bringing the perpetrators to justice and payment of compensation. Currently, we have turned the page on misunderstandings and will continue normal neighborly relations between the two countries,” H. Hajiyev added.

The statement signals a step toward stabilizing bilateral relations following the tragic incident, while emphasizing Azerbaijan’s commitment to maintaining constructive ties with Russia.

Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 was a scheduled international passenger flight from Heydar Aliyev International Airport in Baku, Azerbaijan, to Kadyrov Grozny International Airport near Grozny, Russia. On 25 December 2024, the Embraer 190 operating the Azerbaijan Airlines flight was severely damaged by a Russian surface-to-air missile during the aircraft's approach to Grozny.

The pilots attempted to divert but the hydraulic system failed, leading to a loss of control and ultimately a crash near Aktau International Airport in Aktau, Kazakhstan, with 62 passengers and 5 crew on board. Of those 67 people, 38 died in the accident, including both of the pilots and a flight attendant, while 29 people survived with injuries.