Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev Blames Russia For Plane Crash, Alleges 'Cover-Up' Attempt By Moscow
Azerbaijani President Aliyev says Kazakhstan plane crash was caused by Russian ground fire, as he slammed Russian attempt for a "cover-up" regarding the incident.
Azerbaijan Airlines Plane Crash: Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Sunday alleged that a passenger plane crash last week, which claimed the lives of 38 people, was caused by gunfire from the ground in Russia. Speaking on state television on Sunday, Aliyev criticised Russian authorities for providing misleading explanations in the aftermath of the incident.
"Our plane was shot down by accident," Aliyev stated, explaining that the aircraft had encountered electronic jamming and was subsequently fired upon while approaching the southern Russian city of Grozny, news agency Reuters reported.
The Azerbaijani Airlines Flight J2-8243 crash occurred on Wednesday near Aktau, Kazakhstan, after diverting from southern Russia amidst Ukrainian drone attacks on several Russian cities.
Aliyev expressed dissatisfaction with Russia's initial response, describing some statements as "absurd versions" that attributed the crash to causes such as bird strikes or the explosion of a gas cylinder. "Unfortunately, in the first three days, we heard only absurd versions from Russia," he said, adding, "We witnessed clear attempts to cover up the matter."
Despite Azerbaijan’s close ties with Russia, Aliyev demanded accountability, stating that Russia should accept responsibility and punish those involved in the fatal incident.
Azerbaijan Airlines Plane Crash: Russian President Putin's Apology To Aliyev
On Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin offered an apology to Aliyev for what the Kremlin referred to as a "tragic incident" in Russian airspace. While the Kremlin did not explicitly admit to shooting down the plane, it confirmed that a criminal investigation had been launched.
According to four sources cited by Reuters on Thursday, preliminary findings from Azerbaijan's investigation indicated that Russian air defences had mistakenly shot down the plane.
The rare apology from Putin marks an unusual instance of Moscow acknowledging potential culpability.
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