An Azerbaijani plane hit by Russian fire crashes, killing 38 people. Russia promises to find and punish the culprits, but without admitting responsibility. An international investigation is underway to shed light on this tragedy which is rekindling tensions…
An air tragedy shakes the already tense relations between Russia and Azerbaijan. Last Wednesday, an Azerbaijan Airlines Boeing crashed while trying to land in Aktau in Kazakhstan, after coming under fire over Russian territory according to Azerbaijani authorities. The crash cost the lives of the 38 occupants of the aircraft.
Faced with Baku's accusations, Moscow finds itself in the hot seat. If the Kremlin apologized via President Putin and admitted that anti-aircraft fire had taken place that day due to a Ukrainian drone attack, Russia is refraining for the moment from recognizing direct responsibility in the crash.
Russia promises to find and punish the guilty
But the Russian authorities seem determined to shed light on this tragedy. According to Azerbaijani Prosecutor General Kamran Aliev, Alexander Bastrykin, the head of the Russian Investigative Committee, personally assured him that “intensive measures were being taken to identify the culprits and bring them to criminal accountability for their actions.” Moscow also promised a “complete, exhaustive and objective” investigation in addition to the investigations carried out in Kazakhstan.
An ongoing international investigation
The black boxes of the device, crucial to understanding the causes of the accident, were sent to Brazil where the Center for Investigation and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents (Cenipa) is responsible for examining them. Investigators and experts from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia and Brazil, the country that manufactured the plane, are participating in investigations at the crash site.
An incident that revives regional tensions
Beyond the emotion aroused by this tragedy, the incident has reignited tensions between Russia and Azerbaijan. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev strongly criticized Moscow, accusing it of wanting to “hide its responsibility” and demanding a public apology and compensation. Several airlines, including Israeli El Al, have suspended flights to Russia.
If the theory of an accidental shooting seems favored for the moment, this tragic event illustrates the complexity and volatility of the security situation in this region of the world. Between wars, guerrillas and other frozen conflicts inherited from the fall of the USSR, the skies of the Caucasus remain dangerous and unpredictable for civil aircraft. A situation that the crash of the Baku-Grozny flight is a sad reminder of.
Our priority is to shed light on the circumstances of this disaster and to learn all the lessons so that such a tragedy does not happen again.
Ilham Aliev, President of Azerbaijan
The investigation into this deadly crash has only just begun. Its conclusions will be closely scrutinized in a region where each incident can degenerate into a diplomatic crisis. Beyond the geopolitical issues, 38 families are above all waiting for answers on the exact circumstances in which their loved ones tragically lost their lives.
