Azerbaijan says Russian error caused AZAL plane crash

Ceyhun Bayramov told reporters that the downing of an AZAL Embraer-190 aircraft was due to an error by the Russian Ministry of Defense.

Bayramov said Azerbaijan remains firm in its position on the matter. He called for measures promised by the Russian president during a bilateral meeting in October 2025 to be fully implemented, including legal evaluation and compensation.

The plane crashed on Dec. 25, 2024, near Aktau port. Of the 67 people on board, 38 were killed, including six Kazakh citizens.

Aytac Zeynalova