On December 26, 2024, Azerbaijani parliament member Rasim Musabekov stated that Russia should apologize for the downing of an Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) passenger aircraft, which was reportedly shot down by a Russian surface-to-air missile. The incident occurred on December 25 over Grozny, Russia, leading to the death of 38 individuals out of 67 on board.
Musabekov emphasized that those responsible must face criminal charges and that compensation should be provided to the victims' families. He criticized the Russian media for allegedly attempting to obscure the truth of the incident, arguing that civilized relations require accountability.
The Embraer 190 aircraft was on a flight from Baku to Grozny when it was struck. Reports indicated that the missile was launched during drone operations over Grozny, with debris hitting the aircraft mid-flight. Despite pilot requests for an emergency landing, the aircraft was directed to fly over the Caspian Sea towards Aktau, where it ultimately crashed.
In response to the incident, Israeli airline El Al announced the suspension of all flights between Tel Aviv and Moscow for one week, pending a reassessment of the situation next week.
Kazakhstan's authorities have refrained from commenting on the crash's circumstances, stating that the investigation is ongoing and no official version has been established. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev also noted that the causes of the crash remain unclear and urged a thorough investigation.
The Kremlin has declined to speculate on the reasons behind the incident, maintaining a stance of non-engagement with hypothetical scenarios.