Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev accused Russia of carrying out a “ridiculous” cover-up after its air defenses “shot down” a passenger plane last week.
Russian President Vladimir Putin apologized for the “tragic accident” that occurred last weekend, but the Kremlin did not officially mention that Russian air defenses shot down the plane. At least 38 people were killed in the accident.
“Our plane was shot down by mistake,” Aliyev told state television on Sunday. “Unfortunately, in the first three days we only heard ridiculous stories from Russia.”
He added, “We witnessed clear attempts to cover up the matter.”
Azerbaijan Airlines blames fatal plane crash on 'foreign interference' as Russian speculation grows
Evidence collection efforts are underway at the site of the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) passenger plane near Aktau, Kazakhstan, on December 27, 2024. (Miramgül Kusinova/Anadolu via Getty Images)
A Kremlin statement said the incident occurred after Russian air defenses clashed with Ukrainian attack drones, but it did not explicitly say that Russian forces shot down the plane.
Aliyev is a close ally of Putin's regime, and the two men had a phone call about the incident on Sunday. Neither party published details of their conversation.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev leaves a polling station in Khankendi, Azerbaijan. (Azerbaijan Presidential Press Office via AP)
Crew members and survivors of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane carrying 190 passengers say they heard at least one loud noise before the plane crashed on Christmas Day.
Azerbaijan Airlines blames fatal plane crash on 'foreign interference' as Russian speculation grows
Sobhonkul Rakhimov, a passenger on flight J2-8243, told Reuters from the hospital that he began saying prayers and preparing for the end after hearing a bang.
The plane was on its way from the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, to the Russian city of Grozny in the North Caucasus, according to the Associated Press. (Mangystau District Administration)
“After the explosion… I thought the plane was going to collapse,” Rahimov told the outlet. “It was obvious that the plane had been damaged in some way. It was like it had been drunk, and it wasn't the same plane anymore.”
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Surviving passenger Vava Shabanova said, “Two explosions occurred in the sky, and after an hour and a half, the plane crashed on the ground.”
Reuters contributed to this report.
