Azerbaijan will file an international lawsuit against Russia over the December 2024 crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) passenger jet, President Ilham Aliyev announced on Sunday.

The legal move follows months of what Baku describes as evasive and inadequate responses from Moscow regarding the deadly incident.

The crash, which occurred on December 25, 2024, claimed the lives of 38 people and injured several others. The Embraer E190 aircraft was en route from Baku to Grozny when it was forced to divert over the Caspian Sea amid a Ukrainian drone strike in the Caucasus region. It ultimately crashed in Aktau, Kazakhstan, under what Azerbaijan believes were hostile circumstances involving Russian military activity.

Speaking on national television, President Aliyev condemned Russia’s failure to cooperate transparently with the investigation, stating that Azerbaijan’s Prosecutor General’s Office had repeatedly reached out to the Russian Investigative Committee, only to receive the standard response: “The investigation is ongoing.”

“Everything is clear to us. We know what happened, and we can prove it,” Aliyev declared. “We demand that Russia accept responsibility, punish those responsible for shooting down the plane, and provide compensation to the families of the victims, to the injured, and to AZAL Airlines.”

The president confirmed that Russia has been formally notified of Azerbaijan’s intent to escalate the matter legally and that preparations are underway to submit the case to international judicial authorities.

The announcement represents a significant diplomatic escalation between Baku and Moscow. In July 2025, Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov publicly urged Russian authorities to identify and prosecute those responsible, calling for a "full and transparent investigation" and adequate reparations.

The Embraer E190 crash shocked the region and prompted renewed concerns over air safety during wartime conditions, especially amid heightened military activity around the Caucasus linked to the ongoing Ukraine conflict. Azerbaijani investigators believe that the aircraft may have been mistakenly targeted, potentially by Russian military defenses on high alert during the drone attacks.

If filed, the lawsuit would be one of the first major international legal cases brought by a post-Soviet state against Russia over alleged military culpability in a civilian aviation disaster. Legal experts say the move could set a precedent and test the effectiveness of international aviation laws and state accountability in conflict zones.

The outcome of the case may also affect broader Russia–Azerbaijan relations, which have seen increased strain in recent years amid shifting regional alliances and energy disputes.

As families of the victims continue to demand justice and transparency, the Azerbaijani government insists it will pursue every legal avenue to ensure accountability and reparation for the tragedy. (ILKHA)