Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev has called on Russia to take full responsibility for a plane crash that occurred on Christmas Day, claiming the lives of 38 people. The incident involved an Azerbaijan Airlines flight, which was en route from Baku to Grozny in Chechnya. The flight, J2-8243, was forced to divert to Kazakhstan after coming under fire from Russian air defense systems. The plane crashed near Aktau, leaving only 29 survivors out of the 67 people on board.
Azerbaijan, which lost a significant number of its citizens in the crash, has accused Russia of initially attempting to cover up its involvement. In the days following the incident, Russian agencies proposed various theories about the cause, including an explosion from a gas cylinder and even a bird strike. These explanations were quickly dismissed by Aliyev, who called them “foolish and dishonest.” He pointed to evidence that suggested the plane’s GPS system was disrupted by electronic jamming before being struck by shrapnel from Russian air defense missile blasts.
In a public statement, Aliyev acknowledged the possibility that the plane had been shot down accidentally but emphasized that the Russian government had been evasive in the immediate aftermath of the incident. He revealed that Azerbaijan had made several demands to Russia, including a full admission of guilt and compensation for the victims’ families. While Russian President Vladimir Putin did offer a formal apology, he stopped short of taking direct responsibility, stating that it would be premature to speculate on the cause until the investigation was complete.
Putin expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and explained that the plane was shot down while Russian air defense systems were responding to Ukrainian drone attacks in the region. However, he did not explicitly confirm that Russian missiles were responsible for downing the aircraft. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also weighed in, suggesting that the damage to the plane’s fuselage bore a striking resemblance to an air defense missile strike.
The tragic crash has strained relations between the two countries, despite their status as allies. Aliyev described the incident as a betrayal, stating, “No one would have thought that in a country that is friendly to us, our plane would be fired at from the ground.”
In the wake of the crash, Azerbaijan has paid tribute to the crew, particularly the pilot, Captain Igor Kshnyakin, co-pilot Alexander Kalayaninov, and flight attendant Hokuma Aliyeva, who were posthumously honored for their efforts in saving 29 lives, even though it led to their own deaths. As the investigation continues, Azerbaijan maintains its demand for Russia to take full accountability for the tragedy.
