Azerbaijan’s president accuses Russia of causing plane crash, demands apology

Ilham Aliyev claimed that the plane was damaged by fire from the ground and electronic warfare systems

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has accused Russia of firing at an Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) passenger jet before it crashed in Kazakhstan, killing 38 of the 67 people on board.

In an interview with state media on Sunday, Aliyev demanded that Moscow admit responsibility for the disaster and cease attempts to cover up the cause.

The AZAL flight, which was attempting to land in Grozny, the capital of Russia's Chechnya region, is believed to have been hit by a Russian air defense system.

Aliyev claimed that the plane was damaged by fire from the ground and electronic warfare systems, which caused it to almost lose control.

He criticized Russia for initially suggesting theories, including a bird strike, to explain the crash—describing them as “absurd” and out of touch with reality, given the damage to the plane’s fuselage.

Azerbaijani President claimed that the passenger plane had been damaged by accidental gunfire from the ground in Russia.

Aliyev stated, "Our plane was shot down by accident," and added that the aircraft had been subjected to electronic jamming before coming under fire while approaching the southern Russian city of Grozny.

Aliyev's statement came a day after a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which the Kremlin apologised and expressed regret over the incident but did not accept responsibility as the Russian government had suggested that Ukrainian drones were attacking Grozny at the time the plane tried to land.

Aliyev has made clear demands from Russia, including a public apology, acknowledgment of guilt, punishment of those responsible, and compensation for both the Azerbaijani state and the victims.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin has called for a “transparent” investigation, but as of now, Russia has not admitted fault.

The US has indicated that it has early evidence suggesting Russia’s involvement in the crash, while the European Union has called for an independent inquiry.