Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev attributed the tragic crash of an Embraer 190 aircraft belonging to Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) to actions by Russian representatives. Aliyev's remarks came amid rising tensions and calls for accountability and justice for the victims involved.

“It is as clear as day that the plane was brought down by electronic warfare measures. Additionally, we know the aircraft was targeted by ground fire,” Aliyev declared during a meeting with the families of the deceased crew members.

Efforts are currently underway to analyze the plane's black boxes, but Aliyev was unwavering in his allegations. "I can confidently say that responsibility for the loss of Azerbaijani citizens lies with the Russian Federation's representatives," he affirmed, also calling for transparency and justice.

The president criticized Russian authorities for allegedly trying to conceal the incident, expressing his ‘astonishment, regret, and justified outrage’ over their actions.

The crash, which occurred on December 25 in Kazakhstan, claimed 38 lives, most of whom were Azerbaijani citizens. Reports later surfaced suggesting that the aircraft was attacked by missile fire from a Pantsir-S air defense system near Grozny. Subsequently, Russian forces allegedly barred the flight from landing at airports in Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin contacted Aliyev twice to offer his apologies for the downed aircraft. Aliyev, while accepting Putin's apologies, continues to demand official acknowledgment of fault, punishment for those responsible, and compensation for the victims.

  Azerbaijan, Aliyev, Putin

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