Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation opened a case on safety violations after the plane crashed in Aktau

The Investigative Committee (IC) of Russia has opened a criminal case under the article on violation of safety rules in the use of air transport after the crash in Kazakhstan's Aktau of an Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) plane flying from Baku to Grozny. This was reported in the Kremlin on December 28 following telephone talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev.

"The Russian Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case under Article 263 of the Criminal Code ("Violation of the rules of safety of movement and operation of air transport"). Initial investigative actions are underway, civilian and military specialists are being questioned," the Kremlin said in a statement on its website.

It added that now in Grozny there are two employees of the Prosecutor General's Office of Azerbaijan, who are working together with representatives of the Russian Prosecutor General's Office and the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation. In addition, specialized services of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Russia cooperate closely at the site of the disaster near Aktau.

During a conversation with Aliyev on that day, Putin apologized that the incident with the plane occurred in the airspace of the Russian Federation and again expressed deep condolences to the families of the victims. The leaders noted that the aircraft had tried several times to land in Grozny. This city, along with Mozdok and Vladikavkaz, was then subjected to drone attacks by the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), and Russian air defense forces repelled these attacks.

Tragedy in Aktau: Baku-Grozny passenger plane crashed

A fire started at the scene and there are survivors

An AZAL Airlines passenger plane traveling between Baku and Grozny crashed near the Kazakh city of Aktau on December 25. After the crash, the plane caught fire. Preliminarily, the cause of the plane crash could have been a collision with a flock of birds. After the incident, a criminal case was opened.

AZAL suspended flights from Baku to Grozny and Makhachkala until the investigation is completed. Later the company decided to suspend flights to Sochi, Volgograd, Ufa, Samara and Mineralnye Vody from December 28. According to the list published by the airline, 62 passengers and five crew members were on board the downed plane, 38 people died. Seven Russians were killed in this plane crash, nine survived, they were hospitalized. Later, a special airplane of the Russian Emergencies Ministry took them to Moscow. Of the crew members, three people survived.

Later, on December 27, representatives of the Brazilian factory Embraer, where the aircraft was manufactured, arrived in Aktau. They will participate in the investigation of the plane crash. In addition, in the coming days in the Kazakh city are waiting for employees of the Center for investigation and prevention of aviation accidents (CENIPA) of Brazil.

On December 28, the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation said that nine injured Russians remain in hospitals, two of them are in serious condition, four - in a state of moderate severity, and the rest are on the way to recovery.