Baku, Azerbaijan – Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has publicly stated that the airliner which crashed last week, resulting in numerous fatalities, was unintentionally shot down by Russia. Aliyev criticized Moscow for what he described as an attempt to downplay the incident in the days immediately following the crash.
Speaking on Azerbaijani state television, President Aliyev asserted that the aircraft was struck by ground fire while flying over Russian territory, causing it to become uncontrollable due to electronic interference. He emphasized that while not intentional, the action directly led to the crash.
Furthermore, Aliyev expressed disappointment with Russia's initial response, stating that he was "upset and surprised" by the explanations offered by Russian officials in the first three days. He described these early accounts as "delirious versions" and accused Russia of attempting a cover-up.
The tragic incident claimed the lives of 38 out of the 67 people on board. According to the Kremlin, Russian air defense systems were actively engaged near Grozny, Chechnya, at the time to counter a Ukrainian drone attack. This activity coincides with the timeline of the Azerbaijani aircraft’s trajectory.
Russian President Vladimir Putin issued an apology to President Aliyev on Saturday for what he termed a "tragic incident," however, he stopped short of accepting direct responsibility for the crash.
A joint investigation has been launched, with Russia, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan collaborating to examine the circumstances at the crash site near Aktau, Kazakhstan. The ill-fated flight was en route from Baku to Grozny when it veered off course toward Kazakhstan, where it subsequently crashed while attempting a landing.
