Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev made a significant statement recently regarding the tragic crash of an Azerbaijani airliner last week. During an interview with Azerbaijani state television, he asserted that the aircraft was shot down by Russian fire, although he clarified that this was not done intentionally.
The crash, which occurred as the plane was trying to land in Kazakhstan, claimed the lives of 38 of the 67 people on board. Aliyev expressed frustration over what he described as Russia’s attempts to downplay the situation, stating that clear information was lacking for several days and that the initial explanations provided by Russian officials were misleading.
Aliyev further explained that the airliner suffered from electronic warfare interference, rendering it uncontrollable. He indicated that Azerbaijan has made three demands of Russia in light of this incident: a formal apology, an acknowledgment of responsibility, and accountability for those involved, as well as compensation for the victims.
He noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin has already addressed part of this demand by offering an apology, although Putin referred to the incident as merely “tragic” without accepting full blame. An investigation is underway, and Aliyev has insisted on the involvement of international experts, rejecting Russia’s suggestion that a committee mainly composed of Russian officials lead the inquiry. He expressed concern that this group would not ensure the necessary objectivity.
In a related response, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Putin and Aliyev had spoken again, though details of their conversation were not disclosed. Additionally, there will be a collaborative investigation involving Russia, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan at the crash site.
This incident bears resemblance to a previous tragedy involving Malaysian Airlines Flight 17, which was shot down in 2014 during conflict in Ukraine. Russia, despite ongoing denials, was implicated in that incident, leading to international legal proceedings.
As this situation develops, it highlights the complexities of international aviation safety, national accountability, and diplomatic relations in a tense geopolitical landscape.
