On a cold winter day, people left the warmth of their homes. Some were travelling to see loved ones living far away. Some were chasing long-held dreams. Some were travelling for reasons known only to themselves. Who could know?

Who could imagine that the open sky would, within hours or perhaps minutes, turn into a dark nightmare for them?
Then a gentle voice, carrying hope, rose from within the cabin and planted a fragile sense of reassurance among passengers frozen by fear. "Everything will be fine."

The brave woman who spoke those words was likely as frightened as everyone else, yet her calm voice became a source of hope for dozens of souls.
As the Embraer 190 aircraft, flight J2 8243, struggled to descend through the vast emptiness of the sky, the tension inside the cabin grew with every passing second. Each passenger, having made peace with fate, wondered quietly what the end would bring.

On 25 December 2024, an ordinary flight from Baku to Grozny became a tragedy that would mark a nation. The passengers of AZAL flight J2 8243 were not soldiers or strategists. They were parents returning home, workers crossing borders, families preparing for the New Year. Their expectations were modest........

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