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Russia bears responsibility for AZAL plane crash - Azerbaijani MP

05 February 2025 15:46 (UTC +04:00)

“An Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) plane was shot down and crashed in Grozny as a result of the irresponsibility of the Russian Air Defense Forces and their lack of coordination with civil aviation,” said Azer Badamov, the MP of Milli Majlis (Azerbaijani Parliament), APA reports.

The MP said that Kazakhstan's initial report was prepared transparently and clearly stated the reasons for the accident: “The initial report shows that on December 25, 2024, an AZAL aircraft operating a regular flight from Baku to Grozny on flight J2-8243, was in an airworthy condition and experienced a loss of GPS signals while conducting flight operations over Grozny airport. After the plane failed to make a second landing over Grozny due to unfavorable weather conditions, the captain decided to return to Baku. After this decision was made, two extraneous noises were recorded on the CVR over Grozny, 24 seconds apart. 4 seconds after the first extraneous sound, the 3rd hydraulic system failed, 6 seconds after the 1st hydraulic system, and 21 seconds after the 2nd hydraulic system failed. The aircraft's fuselage, especially its vertical and horizontal stabilizers, as well as the left wing and left engine, were found to have numerous penetrating and blind damage, and photos and videos were recorded. Foreign objects not belonging to the aircraft in the blind damage of the aircraft wreckage were detected and removed, and photographs of these foreign objects were made public in the text of the initial report. Additional examinations are planned to be conducted in the future to determine the exact identity of the discovered extraterrestrial objects. It should also be noted that as early as December 25, some Russian representatives and media outlets were making claims that the plane had collided with a flock of birds, that an oxygen cylinder had exploded in the plane's cabin, and that the accident had occurred as a result of these events.

However, on the day of the plane crash, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who was flying from Baku to St. Petersburg to attend the CIS Summit and, after receiving information about the crash, ordered to return and held a meeting at Heydar Aliyev International Airport, drew attention to the images of the crashed plane and stated that the matter should be fully investigated. President Ilham Aliyev said in an interview with Azerbaijan Television at Heydar Aliyev International Airport on December 29 that the plane had sustained external damage and almost lost control in Russian territory, near the city of Grozny. The head of state had stated that the aircraft was brought to an uncontrollable state by electronic warfare means and that the tail section of the aircraft was severely damaged as a result of gunfire from the ground. The preliminary report has once again confirmed the president's statements."

Azer Badamov noted that President Ilham Aliyev had mentioned in his interview that after the AZAL aircraft was subjected to external influence, information was provided about the declaration of the Kovyor operation: "This was also confirmed in the preliminary report. It has been revealed that at 05:13:32, the main control systems of the aircraft were lost, and at 05:21:42, the coordinating dispatcher informed Grozny about the Kovyor operation. This means that the Russian Air Defense forces notified civilian aviation about the Kovyor operation 8 minutes after our aircraft was hit. That is, all details are being investigated, and a final report will be announced. In this regard, the full responsibility for the crash of the country’s aircraft rests with the relevant Russian state authorities.

Azer Badamov has noted that the leadership of Russia is also waiting for the final report of the relevant commission: “After that, I believe Russia will take the necessary steps. That is, time will show everything. I consider that Russia will take full responsibility for the aircraft crash and will take the appropriate actions within the framework of international standards. Because the aircraft crash should not cast a shadow on the highly developed relations between the two neighboring and allied countries. The relations should be built on mutual respect and sincerity, and continue.”