AZAL Plane Crash - The Times Of Central Asia

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AZAL Plane Crash

Russia, Azerbaijan Settle Over Airliner Crash in Kazakhstan in 2024

Russia and Azerbaijan said on Wednesday that they have reached “an appropriate settlement” that includes compensation payments in the case of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed in Kazakhstan after being damaged by a Russian military strike on Dec. 25, 2024. The agreement reflected efforts by the two countries to resolve a long-running dispute over the crash, which killed 38 of the 67 people on board. The Embraer 190 airliner crashed near the Kazakh city of Aktau after it was struck while trying to land in Grozny, Chechnya, and then diverted across the Caspian Sea. “The steps undertaken confirm the mutual intention to build further mutually beneficial cooperation,” the foreign ministries of Russia and Azerbaijan said in a joint statement. The statement said the settlement was based on an accord reached in October 2025, when Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged in a meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev that Russian missile fire had damaged the plane. Putin indicated that the strike was accidental as it occurred while the Russian military was dealing with a Ukrainian drone attack. His comments went some way toward easing Azerbaijan’s anger over what it viewed as Russian attempts to avoid responsibility for the disaster. The two sides “agreed to appropriately resolve the issues arising from the accident,” which occurred “as a result of the involuntary operation of the air defense system in the airspace of the Russian Federation,” the joint statement said. It expressed condolences to relatives and friends of those who died. The two foreign ministries did not release details of the compensation payments. Kazakhstan is still leading an investigation of the crash.

AZAL Plane Crash

Russia Closes Criminal Case Into AZAL Plane Crash Near Aktau

Russia has closed its criminal investigation into the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) aircraft near Aktau, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from Baku, according to Azerbaijani news outlet Minval Politika. Citing Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, the outlet reported that a letter from Alexander Bastrykin, the head of Russia’s Investigative Committee, notifying Baku of the case's closure caused “serious surprise” on the Azerbaijani side. Bayramov stated that Azerbaijan had issued a detailed and principled response to the letter and expects the process to proceed in accordance with public commitments made by Russian President Vladimir Putin in Dushanbe, as well as bilateral agreements between the two countries. The announcement came just days after Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Transport issued an interim update on its own investigation into the December 2024 crash of the Embraer E190 aircraft operated by AZAL. The update noted that accredited representatives from Azerbaijan, Russia, and Brazil are participating in the probe, alongside an observer from the International Civil Aviation Organization. The crash occurred on December 25, 2024, when the aircraft was operating a scheduled passenger flight from Baku to Grozny. After multiple failed landing attempts in Grozny, the crew diverted to Aktau, on Kazakhstan’s Caspian Sea coast. The plane reportedly circled the airfield twice before crashing near the runway and catching fire. Of the 67 people aboard, 62 passengers and five crew members, 38 were killed. The remaining 29 survived, including two members of the flight crew. Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Transport emphasized that the sole objective of its ongoing investigation is to determine the causes and contributing factors of the accident to prevent similar incidents in the future. The final report, including safety recommendations, will be released once all technical analyses are complete. In September, The Times of Central Asia reported that Russia had begun disbursing insurance payments related to the crash. The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that AlfaStrakhovanie JSC, one of Russia’s largest insurers and currently under Western sanctions over the war in Ukraine, began issuing compensation in February 2025. Azerbaijan Airlines reportedly received full compensation of 1.003 billion rubles (approximately $12.3 million) for the aircraft. Additionally, insurance claims related to injuries and fatalities among 46 of the 62 passengers had been settled. These included payments to seven of the 15 Russian citizens, 35 of the 38 Azerbaijani citizens, all three Kyrgyz citizens, and one of the six Kazakh citizens on board. As of that date, total insurance payouts to injured passengers and the families of those killed amounted to 358.4 million rubles. Russia’s decision does not affect the ongoing technical investigation being led by Kazakhstan.

AZAL Plane Crash

Kazakhstan Releases Interim Findings on Azerbaijan Airlines Crash

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Transport has released an interim update on the investigation into the crash of an Embraer 190 aircraft operated by Azerbaijan Airlines, which went down near the city of Aktau one year ago during a passenger flight from Baku to Grozny. The incident triggered a major diplomatic rift between Russia and Azerbaijan, straining bilateral relations for months, though ties have recently begun to stabilize. The update was published in an official statement dated December 25, 2025, marking the first anniversary of the tragedy. According to the ministry, the aircraft, registered as 4K-AZ65 and operating flight J2-8243, crashed on December 25, 2024, near Aktau in western Kazakhstan. The disaster claimed the lives of 38 people, including three crew members, while 29 others sustained injuries of varying severity. The investigation is being led by a special commission under the Ministry of Transport, established by ministerial order the day after the crash. The ministry emphasized that the investigation is being conducted in full compliance with Annex 13 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation. Under these international standards, the purpose of an aviation accident investigation is solely to prevent similar incidents in the future, not to assign blame or determine legal liability. Separately, the Kazakh authorities confirmed that a parallel criminal investigation is being conducted by law enforcement agencies. As required under International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) rules, these two processes are proceeding independently. The interim report notes that accredited representatives from Azerbaijan, Russia, and Brazil are participating in the investigation, along with an observer from ICAO. A preliminary report was previously issued on February 4, 2025. [caption id="attachment_28337" align="aligncenter" width="923"] Image: Department for Investigation of Accidents and Incidents in Transport preliminary report from February 2025[/caption] Investigators have collected and analyzed a broad array of data, including information on the flight crew, air traffic control, airline operational procedures, flight planning documents, weather conditions, and maintenance records. Copies of the aircraft’s logbook and other relevant documents have also been obtained. Significant progress has been made in examining the aircraft’s flight recorders. Information from the flight data recorder has been successfully extracted and decoded, and the cockpit voice recorder has been fully analyzed. A detailed inspection of the crash site has been conducted, including mapping the distribution of debris. Key components were documented, photographed, collected, and transported for further study. Several specialized forensic examinations were also conducted. Analyses of foreign metallic objects found at the site, including trace, ballistic, explosive, and fire tests, did not reveal any traces of explosive substances. No signs of detonation were found on the three oxygen cylinders submitted for testing. However, investigators concluded that damage to the aircraft was likely caused by external metallic fragments “consistent with fragments that may resemble warhead components,” although their origin could not be definitively identified. A separate analysis of hydraulic system No. 2 revealed that the tubing had sustained rupture damage due to impact with solid objects. Experts determined that the punctures were likely caused by external metal fragments composed of iron-based...

AZAL Plane Crash

Putin Admits Russian Missile Shrapnel Hit Azerbaijani Airliner

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russian missile fire had damaged an Azerbaijani airliner that crashed in Kazakhstan on Dec. 25, 2024, offering new details about an incident that fueled tension between Moscow and Baku this year. Putin spoke about the crash, which killed 38 of the 67 people on board, in a meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on the sidelines of a regional summit in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. The Russian leader’s comments represented an effort to repair relations with Azerbaijan, which had harshly criticized what it described as Russian efforts to avoid responsibility for the disaster. Kazakhstan is leading an investigation of the crash, which occurred near the city of Aktau after the Azerbaijan Airlines plane was struck while trying to land in Grozny, Chechnya, and then diverted across the Caspian Sea. Details about the extent of Russia’s collaboration with the probe led by Kazakhstan have not been publicly announced. But Putin, who previously made a general apology without taking full responsibility, said Russia is providing “every possible assistance” to the investigation as it nears a conclusion. "The first thing is that there was a Ukrainian drone in the sky. We were tracking three such drones, which crossed the Russian Federation border at night," Putin said, according to RIA Novosti, a Russian state-owned news agency. He also said there was a technical failure in the air defense system. "The two missiles that were fired did not directly hit the aircraft (if that had happened, it would have crashed on the spot), but exploded - perhaps self-destructing - a few meters away, somewhere around ten meters,” RIA Novosti quoted Putin as saying. “And so, the hit occurred, but not primarily from the warheads, but most likely from debris from the missiles themselves. That's why the pilot perceived it as a collision with a flock of birds, which he reported to Russian air traffic controllers, and all of this is recorded in the so-called ‘black boxes.’" Some security analysts have said the missiles may have been designed to explode near targets and spray them with shrapnel, a theory that would raise questions about Putin’s account of a technical failure. Putin said compensation and other matters related to the crash will be done, but it will "require some time." AZERTAC, Azerbaijan’s state news agency, carried a similar account of Putin’s comments, which were welcomed by Aliyev. “You are personally overseeing the course of the investigation, and we had no doubt that it would thoroughly and objectively determine all the circumstances,” Aliyev said, according to AZERTAC. “Therefore, I would like once again to express my gratitude that you deemed it important to address this issue during our meeting.” Even so, questions remain about whether Azerbaijan will secure everything it has asked for in connection with the crash. While Russia says insurance payments have been made to crash survivors, victims’ relatives, and Azerbaijan Airlines, there is no word on whether those believed to have fired on the aircraft will face judgment. At...

Central Asia-Russia Summit

Russia–Central Asia Summit in Dushanbe Tests Putin’s Grip

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Tajikistan on October 8 for a three-day state visit that includes a Russia–Central Asia summit in Dushanbe, and a larger Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) meeting. His arrival comes at a time of geopolitical flux in Central Asia, with Russia seeking to reaffirm its waning influence amid migration tensions, economic pressures, and security challenges on its southern flank. The Visit and Summit: What Has Happened So Far Putin was greeted at Dushanbe airport by Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, who has governed the country since 1992. Upon his arrival, the two leaders conducted a private meeting and later presided over expanded talks with their delegations. In his opening remarks, Putin told Rahmon that Russia and Tajikistan are “reliable allies” and pledged that Moscow would fulfil its obligations to Dushanbe, particularly in terms of security. In the first seven months of 2025, bilateral trade rose by more than 17%, a figure Putin cited to underscore that relations are developing “very positively.” Following the meeting, the two leaders signed a joint statement on “deepening the strategic partnership and alliance” between their countries. Alongside Rahmon, on October 9, Putin met with the presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan as part of the Russia–Central Asia summit. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, the summit agenda includes cooperation in trade, transport, energy, security, migration, and environmental policy. A concluding communiqué is expected to lay out joint priorities for 2025–2027 in these fields. Following the Russia–Central Asia gathering, a broader CIS head-of-state meeting is scheduled for October 10. Alongside Russia and the Central Asian states, representatives from Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Belarus will also attend. Draft agendas suggest the adoption of a military-cooperation concept through 2030, counterterrorism and border security strategies, efforts to fight transnational crime, and discussions on a “CIS Plus” format that would allow third-party countries and international organizations to participate in selected CIS events. Russia’s Defense Minister Andrei Belousov held talks in Dushanbe with his Tajik counterparts on October 8, stating that “cooperation between our two military institutions” is key to regional stability. Tajikistan hosts Russia’s largest foreign military base and shares a long, porous border with Afghanistan, which makes the security relationship central to both sides’ calculus. Historical and Geopolitical Context Russia has long viewed Central Asia as its strategic backyard, but since 2022, its dominance has been challenged. Sanctions on Russia due to the war in Ukraine have constrained its economic leverage, while China has expanded its presence via Belt and Road investments. At the same time, the European Union has elevated its engagement with Central Asian states through trade, infrastructure funding, and diplomatic outreach. Central Asian governments have shown increasing boldness in balancing their relations between Moscow, Beijing, and the West. None of the Central Asian governments has openly backed Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Surveys in Kazakhstan show that only 15% of respondents explicitly support Russia, while a larger share leans toward Ukraine or nonalignment. Kazakhstan has refused to recognize the...

AZAL Plane Crash

Final Report on AZAL Crash Near Aktau Expected by Year-End

Kazakhstan is set to complete its investigation into the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) aircraft near Aktau by the end of 2025. The announcement was made by Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev during a briefing in Astana. Bozumbayev stated that the final report is nearing completion. “Our Ministry of Transport is working intensively, with international experts from various countries participating. Some of the equipment remains abroad for examination and will be returned soon. The analysis stage is coming to an end, and we are moving on to preparing the final report,” he said. “The final report will be available in a few months; the truth will be clear by the end of the year, and all requirements will be met to the letter.” He also emphasized that it is too early to determine the cause of the damage to the aircraft. “These questions must be answered by explosive ordnance disposal experts, and that work is being carried out by law enforcement agencies,” he added. The Embraer 190 aircraft, which was en route from Baku to Grozny, crashed near Aktau on December 25, 2024, after the crew reported damage to the fuselage and attempted an emergency landing. Of the 67 people on board, 38 died. The crash sparked an international controversy, with Baku accusing Russian air defense forces of striking the aircraft, an allegation Moscow has denied. Kazakhstan, as the country where the crash occurred, is conducting the investigation as a neutral party. Bozumbayev confirmed that Kazakhstani experts have submitted formal requests to several countries whose weapons may match the damaging elements identified in the fuselage. Among the victims were six Kazakh citizens. Despite this, Astana is refraining from issuing official claims against any foreign states. In contrast, Azerbaijan has announced its intention to seek compensation through international legal channels.