(CLO Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said on Sunday that a passenger plane that crashed last week, killing 38 people, was mistakenly shot down from the ground in Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier apologized to Mr Aliyev on Saturday for the “tragic incident” that occurred on Wednesday in Russian airspace involving Azerbaijan Airlines flight J2-8243.
The Kremlin statement did not say that Russia had shot down the plane, only noting that a criminal case had been opened. However, at the time of the crash, Russian air defenses were engaged in combat with Ukrainian attack drones.
The wreckage of an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane at the crash site near the city of Aktau, Kazakhstan on December 25, 2024. Photo: Mangystau Regional Government
“Our plane was shot down accidentally,” Mr Aliyev told state television on Sunday, adding that the plane had been electronically jammed and fired upon as it approached the southern Russian city of Grozny.
"Unfortunately, for the first three days, we only heard absurd versions from the Russian side," Aliyev also said, citing Russian claims that the crash was caused by a bird strike or an explosion of a gas cylinder.
“We have seen clear attempts to cover up this issue,” said the Azerbaijani leader, who has close ties to Russia and was educated at one of Moscow’s top universities.
Mr Aliyev said he wanted Russia to admit it was at fault for the downing of the plane and punish those responsible. Mr Putin and Mr Aliyev had another phone call on Sunday, the Kremlin said.
The plane crashed on Wednesday near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan after diverting from southern Russia, where Ukrainian drones were attacking several cities at the time, the Kremlin said.
Russia's state news agency TASS quoted Kazakhstan's Transport Ministry as saying authorities would send the two black box flight recorders to Brazil, where the Embraer E190 plane was manufactured.
Azerbaijan held a memorial service for the pilots and passengers on Sunday. Captain Igor Kshnyakin and co-pilot Alexander Kalyaninov, both Russians with Azerbaijani citizenship, were praised for their “heroic actions” in landing the plane and saving the lives of the 29 people on board.
Hoang Huy (according to Kremlin, TASS, Reuters)
Source: https://www.congluan.vn/tong-thong-azerbaijan-noi-chiec-may-bay-roi-do-bi-ban-tu-nga-post328114.html
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