The Russian Foreign Ministry reported that the Russian side has paid insurance compensation in connection with the crash of the Embraer 190 aircraft of Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL). Recall that the airliner was shot down by air defense systems in Russian airspace and crashed on December 25, 2024, near Aktau in Kazakhstan.

According to the department, the airline received full compensation from the insurer AlfaStrakhovanie for the lost airliner in the amount of more than 1 billion rubles (about 12 million dollars). About 4 million dollars (358.4 million rubles) have already been transferred to the injured passengers and the families of the deceased.

A total of 62 people were on board. Of these, 38 died, another 29 were saved. According to the statement of the Russian Foreign Ministry, the claims of 46 passengers have been fully settled: 7 out of 15 Russian citizens, 35 out of 38 Azerbaijani citizens, all three Kyrgyz citizens, and one out of six Kazakh citizens have received compensation. The amounts of payments are still being agreed upon with the remaining victims and relatives of the deceased.

In addition to the list of payments, the statement emphasizes that "attempts by a number of media outlets and bloggers to misinform the public on this sensitive issue leave no doubt about the destructive intentions and complete lack of moral compass of their authors and those behind them." In this regard, the Russian Foreign Ministry calls "not to succumb to obvious speculation and fabrications," recommends "being vigilant, observing digital hygiene, and relying only on official information and trusting verified sources."

The Azerbaijani publication Media.az responded critically to the statement of the Russian Foreign Ministry, accusing Russia of substituting concepts. "Insurance is not equal to compensation," the source concludes.

"The Russian Foreign Ministry reports in detail about insurance payments in its text, listing billions and millions of rubles. But at the same time, it is silent about the main thing - compensation and punishment of the guilty parties, which Azerbaijan demands. And this is a completely different plane.

This is where the fundamental difference lies. Insurance payments are not a gesture of goodwill, but compensation for damages for contributions that airlines pay to insurers in advance. It's like with a car: you pay for car insurance, and in the event of an accident, the insurance company will cover the damage. But no one will consider this an act of "compensation" from the state - this is just a payment under a pre-paid policy. The same is true here: AZAL had an insurance policy, and these amounts are paid under it.

Insurance payments are regulated by the Montreal Convention of 1999 and are a purely technical procedure. It should be noted that the convention obliges all air carriers to insure their liability, and in the event of an air crash, the financial burden of compensation for injured passengers and the families of the deceased is usually borne by the insurance company. That is, we are not dealing with an admission of guilt, but only with the fulfillment of the insurer's obligations," explains Media.az.

There has been no official reaction from the Azerbaijani authorities to the statement of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

The air crash has caused a serious aggravation in relations between Baku and Moscow. The Azerbaijani side insists on bringing the perpetrators to justice and full compensation for damages to the families of the victims and the injured. In July 2025, Azerbaijan announced the preparation of an international lawsuit against Russia in connection with the crash.

The other day, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a press conference following his visit to China that Moscow and Baku should move towards normalizing bilateral relations. Commenting on the state of diplomacy between the two countries, the head of the Kremlin emphasized that in international politics, questions inevitably arise related to current circumstances or the situation. At the same time, he expressed confidence that the solid foundation of Russian-Azerbaijani relations and mutual interest in their development will help smooth out all contradictions.