Russia’s Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday the start of insurance compensation payments related to the crash of an Azerbaijani Airlines (AZAL) plane near the Kazakh city of Aktau, after it was hit by gunfire in Russian airspace.

According to the statement, the Russian insurance company AlfaStrakhovanie has paid 1.003 billion rubles (about $12.34 million) to Azerbaijani Airlines, covering the full insured value of the aircraft.

The tragedy occurred on December 25, when the plane, flying from Baku to Grozny, crashed with 62 passengers and 5 crew members on board. The airline confirmed that 29 people survived the accident.

Official figures showed the passengers included 37 Azerbaijanis, 16 Russians, 6 Kazakhs, and 3 Kyrgyz citizens, highlighting the regional impact of the disaster.