06 January 2025, 21:14
Aliev criticizes Russia for refusing to admit guilt in Embraer plane crash
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliev has criticized Russian authorities for refusing to admit guilt in the crash of the "Azerbaijan Airlines" (AZAL) plane, and demanded that those responsible for the crash be punished.
The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on December 28, 2024, Vladimir Putin telephoned Ilham Aliev and apologized "due to the fact that the tragic incident with the AZAL plane that occurred in the Russian airspace." After that, Aliev publicly demanded that Russia admit guilt in the plane crash, punish those responsible, and pay compensations.
On December 25, an AZAL plane flying from Baku to Grozny crashed in Kazakhstan. There were 62 passengers and five crew members on board; 29 of them survived. The emergency situation on board coincided with the drone attack on Grozny; and traces of damage on the plane skin may indicate an explosion inside or outside, Russian experts stated.
The website of the Azeri President reports concerning the crash reasons that the pilots "were not warned about the danger in the airspace near the city of Grozny." According to Aliev, 10 days before, a similar incident occurred in the same area, and the AZAL plane turned back.
Ilham Aliev has also criticized the statements of Russian officials about the causes of the accident made immediately after the crash. According to his story, it is obvious that the plane was taken out of control by electronic warfare and damaged by shelling from the ground.
On January 4, it became known that experts from the Centre for Investigation and Prevention of Aircraft Accidents in Brazil (where the plane was made) had begun analyzing the data from the black boxes.
This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on January 6, 2025 at 02:49 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.
Author: Faik Medjid Source: СK correspondent
