Mirziyoyev sends condolences to Aliyev and Putin following plane crash

On December 25, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev extended his condolences to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Russian President Vladimir Putin following the tragic Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash near Aktau, Kazakhstan. The incident resulted in numerous casualties, according to a statement by Presidential Spokesperson Sherzod Asadov.  

President Mirziyoyev expressed his sympathies to the families of the victims and wished a swift recovery to the injured.  

Earlier reports indicated that an Azerbaijani airliner en route from Baku to Grozny crashed in Kazakhstan. The plane was carrying 67 passengers and five crew members. The Kazakh Ministry of Emergency Situations confirmed that 32 passengers survived and were transported to the hospital.  

Among the passengers were 37 Azerbaijani citizens, 16 Russians, six Kazakhs, and three Kyrgyz nationals. Survivors included 14 Azerbaijanis, 10 Russians, and two Kyrgyz citizens, while the citizenship of three injured individuals remains unidentified. The aircraft reportedly lost control after colliding with a flock of birds, leading to an emergency landing in Atyrau.  

In response to the tragedy, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev cut short his attendance at the CIS informal summit to return to Baku. Russian President Vladimir Putin also conveyed his condolences to the victims’ families and wished the injured a speedy recovery.