One and a half years after the tragedy, Russia officially admitted that the Embraer 190 aircraft belonging to Azerbaijan Airlines was hit by its anti-aircraft defense systems, as a result of an “unintentional action,” according to a joint statement by the foreign ministries of Russia and Azerbaijan.
The incident occurred in December 2024 and resulted in the death of 38 people. There were 67 people on board the aircraft (62 passengers and 5 crew members), and 29 survived, many of them seriously injured.
According to the authorities, the plane was operating the Baku-Grozny flight when it did not receive landing permission in Grozny and Makhachkala, subsequently deviating to Aktau, where it crashed approximately three kilometers from the airport, during an emergency landing attempt.
The official recognition came after months of diplomatic tensions between Russia and Azerbaijan. Since 2024, President Ilham Aliyev has publicly accused the Russian side, and in 2025 even considered initiating an international lawsuit, reports the publication Azertac.
Only in October 2025, Russian President Vladimir Putin admitted that the aircraft was damaged by Russian anti-aircraft defense systems. Subsequently, Moscow agreed to discuss compensation for the victims and their families.
The experts quoted in the press emphasize that the official recognition came in the context of constant pressures exerted by Azerbaijan, which has repeatedly demanded the establishment of responsibilities for the tragedy. The relations between the two states have been significantly affected by the incident.