Burc Eruygur
29 January 2025•Update: 29 January 2025
ISTANBUL
Azerbaijan summoned Russian Ambassador Mikhail Yevdokimov on Tuesday over media publications and to discuss an investigation into the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines flight last month that killed 38 people.
“During the meeting, it was noted that the publication of articles based on disinformation and broadcasting of coverage targeting our country in the Russian media and by some official circles of Russia cause misunderstanding,” said a statement by the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.
The statement said the meeting noted that the publications and broadcasts contradict the spirit of the declaration on allied interaction signed between Azerbaijan and Russia.
It said the meeting also noted that the results of an investigation into the plane crash are known and that work is being carried out to finalize the investigation.
The meeting also noted Azerbaijan’s expectations from the Russian side regarding the accident, the statement said.
“Regarding the information in the local press about the ‘Russian House,’ it was stated that this is not an official position, that the activities of such organizations on the territory of our country are based on the principle of reciprocity and that it is important to conduct them in accordance with the requirements of the legislation,” it added.
The meeting came a day after Russia summoned Azerbaijan’s ambassador Rahman Mustafayev, during which they discussed bilateral relations and ongoing issues, including the plane crash investigation.
An Azerbaijan Airlines plane, which was en route from Azerbaijan’s capital Baku to Grozny in Russia's Chechen Republic, crashed on Dec. 25 about 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) from the Kazakh city of Aktau on the Caspian Sea coast, killing 38 of 67 people onboard.
While an investigation into the crash is underway, initial statements said a bird collision might have caused the Embraer 190 aircraft to crash, though footage from the site revealed large holes in the tail section of the aircraft, leading to speculation of a possible attack.
A day after the incident, senior Azerbaijani officials confirmed to Anadolu reports suggesting the crash was caused by a Russian missile system.
Russian President Vladimir Putin later held a phone call with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev, during which he apologized for the incident above Russian airspace and offered his condolences.
A day later, Aliyev said the crashed plane’s tail was severely damaged because of “weapons fire from the ground,” demanding that Moscow issue an “acknowledgment of guilt, punishment of those responsible, and payment of compensation.”
