Baku, December 26, 2025 – The Europe Today: The investigation into the crash of the Embraer 190-100 IGW passenger aircraft operated by Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL), which occurred on December 25, 2024, in the territory of Kazakhstan, is continuing in accordance with Annex 13 to the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation.
The investigation is being led by the Ministry of Transport of Kazakhstan with the participation of representatives from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), as well as Azerbaijan, Brazil, and Russia. In parallel, the competent investigative authorities of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Russia are conducting criminal investigations within their respective jurisdictions.
In line with ICAO requirements, Kazakhstan published a preliminary report in February 2025, which outlined only the established factual information and did not include analysis or conclusions regarding the causes of the crash.
As the final report—expected to present the completed results of the investigation under the Chicago Convention—could not be finalized by the anniversary of the incident, the Kazakh authorities issued an interim statement for the public, in accordance with ICAO procedures.
According to the interim statement, the aircraft’s oxygen cylinders were found to be undamaged, effectively ruling out the possibility of an internal explosion. The statement also records that foreign metal objects which caused damage to the aircraft were identified as fragments of an explosive device linked to a weapon system, although the specific model of the weapon system was not specified. It is recalled that the affiliation of such a weapon system with the air defense forces of the Russian Ministry of Defense has previously been referenced in a political statement by the President of the Russian Federation.
The statement further notes that, at the next stage, the Kazakh side is required to present a final report to the public. Unlike the interim statement, the final report is expected to be more comprehensive, incorporating all factual findings of the investigation, an analysis of the causes of the crash, and safety recommendations aimed at preventing similar incidents in the future.
Based on the interim report released by Kazakhstan and the joint assessments of experts from Azerbaijan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Brazil, and ICAO, it has been stated that the aircraft lost control and subsequently crashed not due to a technical malfunction, but as a result of external interference.
