Russia is cooperating with Kazakhstan in the investigation into the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) plane in Aktau.

Axar.az reports that this was stated by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin to RIA Novosti.

According to him, an international investigation into the causes of the incident is being conducted by a special commission established by the Kazakh Ministry of Transport. The Russian side is providing all necessary assistance to the agency, and Russian aviation has responded to all inquiries.

Recall that an AZAL passenger plane operating a Baku-Grozny flight crashed near the city of Aktau, Kazakhstan, on December 25 last year. There were 62 passengers on board, including 37 Azerbaijanis, 16 Russians, 6 Kazakhs, and 3 Kyrgyz citizens, as well as 5 crew members. As a result of the accident, 38 people died, and 29 people, including three children, survived.

According to preliminary information, the plane crashed as a result of physical and technical external interference in the airspace over Grozny, Russia.