The EU has issued a warning for aircraft operating in Russian airspace.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency issued a new warning on January 9, advising non-European airlines to avoid flying over western Russia following the downing of an Azerbaijan Airlines aircraft in December 2024.

The crash, which resulted in the deaths of 38 people, was caused by the operation of Russian air defense systems in Grozny, which mistakenly shot down the aircraft. However, after the plane requested an emergency landing, it was denied the opportunity to land in Grozny or any nearby cities, and instead was forced to fly over 500 km across the Caspian Sea to Kazakhstan's Aktau, where it crashed during an attempted landing.

“The ongoing conflict following the Russian invasion of Ukraine poses a risk of unintentional strikes on civilian aircraft in the airspace of the Russian Federation due to possible shortcomings in civil-military coordination and the potential for misidentification,” reports the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

“EASA recommends not operating in the affected airspace of the Russian Federation located west of 60° East longitude at all altitudes and flight levels,” the warning states.

The airspace of Russia is already closed to EU airlines. The warning pertains to operators from third countries authorized by EASA.

The Azerbaijan Airlines aircraft, en route from Baku to Grozny (Chechnya), altered its course and crashed in Kazakhstan on December 25.

Putin, who maintains close relations with Azerbaijan, expressed condolences during a phone call on December 28 but did not acknowledge Russia's responsibility.

Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev criticized Russia's actions regarding the incident, accusing its agencies of concealing evidence and promoting “absurd versions” of events.

Aliyev also accused Russia of failing to close its airspace near Grozny and emphasized the poor coordination between its military and civil aviation services as a factor contributing to the tragedy.

To remind: Aliyev accused Russia of deliberately concealing the downing of the Azerbaijani aircraft. This is why the “black boxes” from the aircraft were sent not to a Russian-controlled committee but to Brazil, he stated during a meeting with the families of the deceased and injured.