Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said on December 29 (local time) that the passenger plane that crashed last week, killing 38 people, was shot down by mistake over Russian territory. He also criticized some Russian officials for giving false information about the cause of the accident, Reuters reported.
Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin apologized to President Aliyev for the "tragic incident" that occurred on December 25 in Russian airspace, involving Azerbaijan Airlines flight J2-8243.
The incident occurred as Russian air defense forces were responding to drone attacks from Ukraine. However, the Kremlin statement only confirmed that a criminal investigation had been opened, without acknowledging that the plane had been shot down.
"Our plane was shot down by mistake. It was affected by electronic interference and then hit by bullets while approaching the city of Grozny in southern Russia," Aliyev told state television.
Despite the serious incident, the crew managed to make an emergency landing, saving the lives of 29 people. President Aliyev praised the pilots as heroes for sacrificing themselves to protect the passengers. "The pilots knew that they would hardly survive, but they acted bravely to save others," he stressed.
Pilot Igor Kshnyakin, co-pilot Alexander Kalyaninov and flight attendant Hokuma Aliyeva were posthumously awarded the title of National Hero of Azerbaijan. Their memorial service was held at the Cemetery of Honor in the capital Baku, with the participation of President Aliyev and his wife.
Mr Aliyev criticised the Russian side for putting forward unfounded theories in the first days after the crash, such as a bird strike or a gas explosion. “We saw a clear attempt to cover up the truth,” he said, demanding that Russia take responsibility and punish those responsible.
Meanwhile, Russia announced that civilian and military experts are being questioned to clarify the incident. The head of the Russian Investigative Committee, Alexander Bastrykin, pledged to use the most experienced experts to find the cause.
The Embraer E190 diverted hundreds of miles over the Caspian Sea before crashing near the city of Aktau, Kazakhstan. The plane’s black boxes will be sent to Brazil for analysis by the country’s air accident investigation center.
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev awarded medals to rescue workers, including emergency services, medics and airport staff.
