President Aliyev Reaffirms Russian Representatives’ Involvement in AZAL Plane Crash; Brazil Decodes Black Boxes

In the wake of a tragic crash of Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) plane in Aktau, Kazakhstan, questions have been raised about the actions of Russian state agencies and their handling of the situation following the aircraft’s downing over Chechnya, Russia.

The event, which has drawn international attention, revolves around Russia’s mishandling of airspace security and subsequent investigations.

“I can state with full certainty that the responsibility for the deaths of Azerbaijani citizens in this tragedy lies with representatives of the Russian Federation,” said President Ilham Aliyev in a recent meeting with the families of crew members who tragically lost their lives and the surviving flight attendants.

“We demand justice, we demand the punishment of those responsible, and we insist on full transparency and accountability in this matter. Human decency and ethical conduct must prevail.”

President Aliyev elaborated that when a country’s airspace is under threat, it is closed immediately to ensure safety – a standard practice that had been mishandled by Russian authorities. This procedure, commonly known as the "Kovyor operation" in Russia, involves informing flight crews promptly and redirecting aircraft to safety.

However, with respect to Azerbaijan Airlines plane’s crash in Aktau on December 25, these protocols appeared misaddressed.

“In Grozny, the "Kovyor operation" - an operation to close the airspace - was initiated after the plane was fired upon from the ground. This clearly indicates the presence of serious criminal issues,” President Aliyev added.

“If Russian airspace was under threat, the captain of the plane should have been promptly informed. The airspace should have been closed immediately, and the plane should have been instructed to turn back.”

In a public statement, Azerbaijani officials criticized Russian authorities for their lack of transparency and the promotion of implausible theories about the incident.

“The information we have is based on the truth. The cover-up of this incident by Russian state agencies and their focus on absurd theories evoke surprise, regret, and rightful indignation,” President Aliyev said, about Russia’s initial assumptions on the cause of the incident, including a bird strike and a gas cylinder explosion.

Azerbaijan Airlines "Embraer 190" aircraft operating the Baku-Grozny route on December 25 crash-landed in Aktau, Kazakhstan, after it was refused emergency landing in Russian airports of Grozny, Makhachkala, and Mineralnye Vody.

It was reportedly ordered to fly across the Caspian Sea towards Aktau. The plane’s GPS navigation systems were jammed in Russian airspace.

Azerbaijani government sources confirmed to Euronews on December 26 that a Russian anti-aircraft missile, presumably fired from a Pantsir-S air defense system, caused the plane crash killing 38, including three crew members. Initial data suggested a surface-to-air missile strike during drone hunt above Grozny. Russian media reported that the flight time matched Russian air defense attempts to neutralize Ukrainian UAVs. Chechnya authorities have confirmed an active drone attack on the same day.

Commissions in Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, along with an international group of specialists from Embraer and Brazil, as well as Turkish specialists have been conducting an investigation, which is currently focused on decoding the plane’s black boxes, a critical step in determining the sequence of events leading up to the tragedy.

At Azerbaijan’s insistence, the analysis is being conducted in Brazil to ensure objectivity. Representatives from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Russia are overseeing the process.

According to Globo, Brazil’s Aviation Accident Investigation and Prevention Center (CENIPA) completed its analysis of the black boxes from the downed Embraer aircraft. The equipment arrived in Brazil on January 1, and according to sources involved in the investigation, the "extraction, collection, and verification of data from the two recorders" completed on January 4.

The extracted data will be transferred to the Aviation Accidents and Incidents investigation Division of Kazakhstan Aviation Administration responsible for analyzing and investigating the incident.

Azerbaijani officials remain hopeful that the findings will bring clarity to the unresolved questions surrounding the incident.

“We will see this investigation through to its conclusion,” President Aliyev assured.