Overview
- The memorial plaque was installed in Heydar Aliyev Square in Grozny ahead of the first anniversary, with AZAL president Samir Musa oglu Rzaev and Azerbaijan’s ambassador Rakhman Mustafaev attending.
- Chechen authorities presented “For Merits to the Chechen Republic” medals to surviving flight attendants Asadov Zulfuqar and Ragimli Aydan.
- Officials at the ceremony praised the crew’s actions, saying they saved 29 lives from the 67 people aboard.
- The Embraer 190 flying the Baku–Grozny route crashed near Aktau in December 2024 after suffering in‑flight damage over Russian territory, resulting in 38 deaths.
- Russia has acknowledged its air‑defense caused the damage and pledged accountability and compensation, yet implementation has not followed as Azerbaijan keeps up diplomatic pressure, including President Ilham Aliyev skipping this week’s CIS summit in St. Petersburg.