Apologies but absurd theories from Moscow
Since Wednesday, the day this plane crashed in Kazakhstan after failing to land in Grozny in southern Russia, suspicions have been growing around a Russian anti-aircraft defense shot.
Russian President Vladimir Putin apologized to Mr Aliyev on Saturday for the incident, acknowledging shooting but not admitting the plane was hit by mistake by the Russian military. He also claimed that the area was then under attack from Ukrainian drones.
The Azerbaijani president publicly pointed out Russia’s “guilt” during an interview on national television, while noting that the “plane was hit by accident”. The aircraft was “made uncontrollable by military means of electronic jamming” in the sky over Grozny and “its tail was also seriously damaged” by shots from Russian soil.
“Unfortunately, during the first three days we heard only absurd theories from Russia,” he charged.
Apologies, guilt and sanctions
Ilham Aliev estimated that the various versions of the facts put forward in Russia (crash with birds, explosion of a gas balloon in the plane) “clearly show that the Russian side wanted to cover up the affair”. “Admitting (one’s) guilt, issuing a timely apology to Azerbaijan, which is considered a friendly country, and informing the public about it, these are all measures and steps that should have been taken.”
“After examining the flight recorders and obtaining more detailed information, a complete picture of what happened will be made public,” Mr. Aliev insisted.
According to him, Baku made three demands on December 27: an apology, recognition of guilt and punishment of those responsible. “The first was heard on Saturday (with Mr. Putin’s apologies, editor’s note). I hope that the other conditions will be accepted too,” he insisted.
On Wednesday, the Embraer 190 plane of the Azerbaijani company Azerbaijan Airlines crashed near Aktau in western Kazakhstan, on the eastern shore of the Caspian Sea, while the plane was supposed to connect Baku with Grozny, two cities located on the opposite bank.
