Azerbaijan Says Russia Shot At Plane Before Crash, Makes Three Demands

Aliyev made the statement in an interview with state media at Baku airport, four days after the AZAL flight crashed in Kazakhstan, resulting in the deaths of 38 of the 67 people on board.

Azerbaijani officials have suggested that the plane may have been hit by a Russian air-defense system as it attempted to land in Grozny, the capital of the Russian republic of Chechnya.

Aliyev’s strong criticism of Russia came a day after he had a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Read Also: Putin Apologises For ‘Tragic’ Azerbaijan Airlines Crash, Fails To Admit Responsibility

A Kremlin statement on the call made no mention of Russia taking responsibility for the crash.

“The facts are clear: the Azerbaijani civilian plane was damaged from the outside over Russian territory, near Grozny, and almost lost control,” Aliyev told state television. “We also know that electronic warfare systems took our plane off course, and that ground fire severely damaged the plane’s tail.”

Aliyev acknowledged that the incident was “an accident” but expressed frustration that Russia appeared to be attempting to conceal the truth. He criticized Moscow for offering explanations that he said were clearly aimed at covering up the real cause of the crash.

“For the first three days, we heard nothing from Russia except absurd theories,” Aliyev said, referring to claims that the plane had collided with a flock of birds. He rejected this theory, pointing out that the plane’s fuselage was covered with holes, making it implausible.

Russia had claimed that Grozny was under attack by Ukrainian drones on the day the AZAL flight tried to land.

Aliyev called on Moscow to apologize publicly to Azerbaijan and outlined a series of demands: “First, Russia must apologize to Azerbaijan. Second, it must acknowledge its responsibility. Third, those responsible must be held accountable, punished, and compensation must be provided to Azerbaijan, as well as to the injured passengers and crew.”

These demands were articulated in unusually strong terms toward Russia.

The Kremlin had said on Saturday that during their phone call, Putin expressed regret over the “tragic incident” but did not accept blame for it.

Putin had also indicated that Russian air defenses were active in Grozny on December 25, when the plane was attempting to land before diverting and crashing in Kazakhstan. Later, the Russian president called for a “transparent” investigation into the crash.

Aliyev’s office said he stressed during the call that the plane had been subjected to external interference while over Russia.

Russian news outlets reported that Putin and Aliyev discussed the crash again on Sunday.

This week, the United States indicated it had “early indications” that Russia was responsible for the crash, but did not provide further details.

The European Union, meanwhile, called for a “swift” and “independent” investigation into the incident.