Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stated on Monday that improved coordination between Russia's military and civilian services might have prevented the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines flight near Aktau, Kazakhstan, late last month.
“Had proper measures been taken to close the Russian airspace near the city of Grozny, and had ground services followed all the necessary protocols with proper coordination between the armed forces of Russia and civilian services, this tragedy could have been prevented,” Aliyev said during a meeting with surviving crew members and families of those who lost their lives. His remarks were shared through an official Azerbaijani presidential statement.
Aliyev acknowledged that an investigation into the incident is ongoing and said the initial findings have been presented to him. He refrained from disclosing all details but asserted, “I can say with full certainty that the responsibility for the deaths of Azerbaijani citizens in the crash lies with representatives of the Russian Federation.”
He called for transparency, accountability, and justice, stating, “We demand the punishment of those responsible, and we insist on full transparency and accountability in this matter. Human decency and ethical conduct must prevail.”
Black Boxes and Investigation Concerns
The black boxes from the crash site were sent to Brazil for analysis, which Aliyev said underscores Azerbaijan’s commitment to an objective investigation. He noted that Azerbaijan would have considered using the Commonwealth of Independent States’ Interstate Aviation Committee for decoding if there had been evidence of a thorough and impartial inquiry from Russian authorities.
Aliyev expressed concerns over initial explanations for the crash, saying, “When we witnessed attempts to downplay the severity of the case – attributing the incident to mere birds or a gas cylinder explosion – both I and the Azerbaijani public began to seriously question the objectivity of the investigation.”
He added, “The black boxes are currently being decoded, and I am confident that the preliminary results will emerge soon, shedding light on the full details of this tragedy.”
Background of the Incident
On 25 December, an Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 aircraft en route from Baku to Grozny crashed approximately 3 kilometres (1.8 miles) from Aktau, Kazakhstan, on the Caspian Sea coast. Of the 67 passengers and crew on board, 38 lost their lives.
Initial reports suggested that the crash may have been caused by a bird strike. However, footage from the site revealed significant damage to the aircraft’s tail section, prompting further investigation.
Senior Azerbaijani officials later suggested the crash may have been caused by a Russian missile system.
Dialogue Between Leaders
Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke with Aliyev shortly after the incident, expressing condolences and reportedly apologising for what occurred over Russian airspace.
Following this, Aliyev said that the plane’s tail appeared to have been severely damaged by “weapons fire from the ground” and called for an “acknowledgment of guilt, punishment of those responsible, and payment of compensation” from Moscow.
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