"I can confidently state that the responsibility for the deaths of Azerbaijani citizens in this air disaster lies with representatives of the Russian Federation. We demand justice, punishment for the guilty, full transparency, and humane treatment," Aliyev said during a meeting with the families of the crew members who perished in the crash and surviving flight attendants.

President Aliyev revealed that the process of decoding the aircraft's black boxes is underway. Preliminary results are expected soon, which will provide a clearer picture of the tragic incident.

The AZAL plane, operating a flight from Baku to Grozny, crashed near Aktau on December 25. The aircraft was carrying 67 people, of whom 38 lost their lives.

Following the tragedy, President Aliyev also demanded that Russia acknowledge its responsibility for the crash and compensate the victims' families.