Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev is demanding accountability from Russia following a tragic plane crash on Christmas Day that resulted in the loss of 38 lives. The aircraft, which was attempting to land in Chechnya, reportedly came under fire from Russian air defense systems, leading to its diversion to Kazakhstan where it ultimately crashed.
In a recent statement, President Aliyev expressed his concerns, stating that while Russian President Vladimir Putin offered an apology for the incident in Russian airspace, he did not take responsibility. Aliyev called on Moscow to acknowledge its role in the tragedy and called for compensation, accusing the Russian government of attempting to obscure the truth behind the crash.
The Azerbaijan Airlines flight J2-8243 was en route from Baku to Grozny when it was reportedly fired upon. The plane was forced to change course and went down near Aktau, Kazakhstan, killing 38 out of 67 passengers, the majority of whom were Azerbaijani citizens, with others from Russia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.
Aviation analysts suspect that the aircraft’s GPS may have suffered from electronic jamming, with subsequent damage inflicted by shrapnel from Russian missile defenses. Aliyev criticized Russian authorities for proposing alternative explanations for the crash, including claims of a gas explosion and even bird strikes, labeling these theories as “foolish and dishonest.”
While he conceded the possibility that the plane was shot down inadvertently, Aliyev described the initial responses from Russia as absurd and requested a series of actions, including an admission of guilt, accountability for those responsible, and financial redress for Azerbaijan and the victims’ families.
In response to the incident, President Putin referred to the tragedy as a “tragic incident” that occurred during the defense against Ukrainian drone attacks. He extended condolences to the victims’ families while admitting that the plane was trying to land at Grozny airport amidst the military conflict. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also weighed in, asserting that the damage to the plane suggested a missile strike from Russian air defenses.
Azerbaijan has mourned the loss of life and honored the crew members who showed remarkable bravery by ensuring that 29 passengers survived, despite their own tragic fate.
