Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has issued a strong statement regarding the Embraer 190 aircraft crash of AZAL (Azerbaijan Airlines) near Aktau, Kazakhstan, on December 25. The crash, which occurred during a flight from Baku to Grozny, resulted in the deaths of 38 passengers, while 29 survived.
Aliyev highlighted that the exact cause of the crash will only be determined after the black boxes are analyzed. However, preliminary evidence indicates that the civilian aircraft was struck externally within Russian airspace near Grozny. According to the president, the plane became uncontrollable due to the interference of electronic warfare systems, with further damage caused to the tail section by ground-based fire.
Aliyev dismissed initial claims of a bird strike, citing the discovery of holes in the fuselage. He criticized Russian authorities for propagating baseless theories, such as a gas cylinder explosion, in the days following the incident. “This demonstrates a clear attempt by the Russian side to obscure the facts, which undermines trust and bilateral relations,” he stated.
While emphasizing that the aircraft was not intentionally shot down, Aliyev asserted that Russia must formally apologize, accept responsibility, and provide compensation to Azerbaijan and the victims. He also confirmed that Azerbaijan has rejected an official offer from Russia’s Interstate Aviation Committee to investigate the incident.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has apologized to Aliyev, acknowledging the “tragic incident in Russian airspace” and mentioning that an air defense system was operational in the area at the time. However, he stopped short of explicitly linking it to the crash. Aliyev insists on accountability, calling for punitive measures against those responsible and compensation for both state and individual losses.
This incident has heightened diplomatic tensions between Azerbaijan and Russia, underlining the need for transparency and justice to ensure stability in their bilateral relations.
