Today marks 11 months since the AZAL passenger plane operating the Baku–Grozny flight crashed in Kazakhstan. This means only 1 month remains until the investigation's completion date.
A few months ago, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated during his meeting with President Ilham Aliyev in Dushanbe that a legal assessment would be given to the causes of the accident and the actions of those responsible. According to him, Russia will do everything in its power both in the investigation process and in compensation matters: “Time is needed to put a definitive end to this incident.”
Indeed, it is of interest whether the investigation will be concluded and unresolved issues clarified on December 25.
In a statement to Modern.az, Elman Nəsirov, a member of the Milli Majlis Committee on International Relations and Interparliamentary Ties, stated that it is regrettable that the perpetrators have not been punished despite nearly a year having passed since the plane crash:
"This is the 11th month of the tragedy that occurred as a result of the crash of an AZAL aircraft operating the Baku-Grozny flight on December 25 last year. It should also be noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin confidently stated during the meeting with President Mr. Ilham Aliyev in Dushanbe that all details regarding the accident would be announced by December 25 of this year, i.e., the 1st anniversary of the tragedy, nothing would remain unclear, and naturally, certain measures would be taken thereafter. It is common practice worldwide that when such incidents occur, certain steps must be taken. First and foremost, compensation must be paid, and the culprits, who are in fact criminals, must be punished. There can be no talk of impunity under any circumstances. However, regrettably, despite nearly 1 year having passed since the incident, the culprits, who are in fact criminals, have still not been identified and brought to light, and they have not borne any responsibility. No legal steps have been taken against them.”
The MP stated that if no results are achieved this time either, misunderstandings could re-emerge in bilateral relations:
"The Russian President has given assurances that this incident will definitely be appropriately assessed and steps will be taken on its 1st anniversary. We want to believe this. Because this was not stated by any Russian official, but at the presidential level. We believe that this will indeed happen. Because if the processes do not unfold as stated, this could again lead to misunderstandings in our bilateral relations. The Russian President has stated several times that he holds Turkish President Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in special regard because he is a man of his word, he spoke like a man and acts accordingly. It seems to me that Vladimir Putin himself, who acknowledges all these values, will also keep his word. We are awaiting this. I believe that on December 25, all truths regarding the known plane crash will be confirmed, and accordingly, all steps will be taken on a legal basis.”
It should be recalled that an AZAL-owned Embraer 190 aircraft, while operating the Baku–Grozny flight, crashed in the morning of December 25, 2024, near the city of Aktau in western Kazakhstan. There were 62 passengers and 5 crew members on board, of whom only 29 survived.
