Baku has “no doubt” that the Russian investigation into the incident will be unbiased, Ilham Aliyev has said
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has thanked his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, for informing him about the status of the investigation into the deadly 2024 crash of a Russian-bound Azerbaijan Airlines plane. He expressed confidence that the results of the probe will be objective.
Aliyev made the comments ahead of bilateral talks with Putin hosted by Tajikistan on Thursday. During the meeting, he also described Russia as a friendly nation, in an apparent thaw in relations, which had deteriorated over the crash.
The Azerbaijani president expressed “gratitude for the extensive information on the last year’s December tragedy,” adding that officials of the two nations have been in constant contact over the incident.
“You are personally keeping the investigation process under control and we have no doubt that it will establish all the facts in an unbiased manner,” he told Putin.
The Russian president informed Aliyev that an incursion of three Ukrainian drones was the root cause of the tragedy, with one of them still in the air when the AZAL flight 8243 was damaged. According to Putin, the plane was “most likely hit by debris” from a missile that self-destructed in the air.
The incident took place near Grozny, Russia. The crew tried to divert the flight, but the plane eventually crash-landed in Kazakhstan, killing 38 people and injuring 29 others.
Though Russia repeatedly expressed condolences for the tragedy, relations between the two countries soured following the incident. Aliyev previously said a lawsuit was being prepared against Russia for its role in the crash. The Kremlin responded by saying the investigation needs to be completed first.
On Thursday, Putin said Russia would meet all of its obligations regarding compensation for the families of the victims, adding that a legal assessment would be provided for the actions of everyone involved.
