Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev has alleged that an Azerbaijani Airlines passenger plane, which crashed near Aktau, was struck by ground fire while flying over Russian territory.
The incident has raised serious concerns about aviation safety and bilateral relations between the two nations.
Speaking publicly, President Aliyev asserted, “The damage sustained by the aircraft was the result of ground fire. While we understand that this was not a deliberate act, the lack of immediate acknowledgment and apology from the Russian side was unacceptable.”
Aliyev emphasized that Azerbaijan considers Russia a friendly nation, and a timely acknowledgment of the incident would have helped mitigate tensions. “Admitting fault, offering apologies to Azerbaijan, and addressing the public transparently were steps Russia should have taken,” he said.
The Russian government initially refrained from addressing Azerbaijan’s claims, offering conflicting explanations during the first three days following the crash. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin later spoke with Aliyev, expressing regret over the “tragic incident in Russian airspace” but stopped short of accepting responsibility.
The Azerbaijani Airlines plane went down near Aktau after being struck by a Russian air defense system over Chechnya. While no official report has been released, Aliyev’s remarks strongly indicate that ground-based weaponry played a role.
The incident has cast a shadow on Azerbaijan-Russia relations, with Aliyev’s statements underscoring the strain. “Unfortunately, in the first days, all we heard were absurd theories,” Aliyev remarked, highlighting the frustration within Baku over Russia’s initial handling of the situation.