Authorities in Azerbaijan say they have been left “bewildered” after Russian officials told them that a criminal probe into the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger jet has been terminated.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Azeri Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov said the head of Russia’s Investigative Committee, Alexander Bastrykin, had sent a letter stating that the investigation into the incident, as well as criminal cases, had been closed.
Initial investigations suggested the aircraft was struck by Russian air defense systems amid a Ukrainian drone attack in Russ
“The letter claimed that the criminal case had been closed, which naturally raised serious questions,” Bayramov said, adding that Azerbaijan had sent an official response making clear the matter was far from resolved.
“Our expectation is that the process will be completed in accordance with the statements and apology of the Russian President in Dushanbe,” Bayramov said, referring to a meeting between Vladimir Putin and his Azeri counterpart Ilham Aliyev in October 2025.
ia’s skies.
“The letter claimed that the criminal case had been closed, which naturally raised serious questions,” Bayramov said, adding that Azerbaijan had sent an official response making clear the matter was far from resolved.
“Our expectation is that the process will be completed in accordance with the statements and apology of the Russian President in Dushanbe,” Bayramov said, referring to a meeting between Vladimir Putin and his Azeri counterpart Ilham Aliyev in October 2025.