Russia has agreed to compensate Azerbaijan over the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer E190 in December 2024, bringing to a close a dispute that strained relations between the two countries.
The agreement was confirmed in a joint statement by the two governments, following a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in 2025. The terms of the compensation were not disclosed.
The aircraft, operating as Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8432, crashed near Aktau in Kazakhstan on December 25, 2024, after sustaining critical damage while flying near the Russian city of Grozny. Of the 67 people on board, 38 were killed and 29 survived.
Investigations concluded that the aircraft was damaged by a Russian air defense system responding to what officials described as a perceived threat in the area. Russian authorities later said missiles had been fired at suspected Ukrainian drones, with the resulting blast occurring close enough to the aircraft to cause severe damage.
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Moscow initially denied any involvement and suggested alternative causes for the crash, including a possible bird strike. Azerbaijani authorities rejected those claims and maintained from the outset that the aircraft had been hit by Russian defenses, citing early evidence and witness accounts.
The incident escalated into a diplomatic crisis, with Baku demanding a formal apology, accountability for those responsible and financial compensation. Putin later acknowledged that Russian air defenses had been active at the time, but stopped short of fully accepting responsibility until months after the crash.
The E190 involved in the accident had departed from Baku and was unable to land at airports in southern Russia after reporting damage, according to Azerbaijani officials. The crew diverted across the Caspian Sea toward Kazakhstan, where the aircraft ultimately went down.
