Mon Jan 06 16:43:56 UTC 2025: ## Azerbaijan Accuses Russia of Shooting Down Airline, Demands Apology and Accountability
**Baku, Azerbaijan –** Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has directly blamed Russia for the downing of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane last month, resulting in the deaths of 38 passengers. The Embraer 190 jet crash-landed in Kazakhstan on December 25th after being diverted from Grozny, Russia. While Russia admits its air defenses were active in the area due to a reported Ukrainian drone attack, President Aliyev denounced Moscow’s initial explanations as “delusional” and demanded a full apology, admission of guilt, and punishment for those responsible.
President Aliyev’s statement, released Monday, follows Russia’s initial claim of a bird strike causing the diversion. He criticized the lack of warning given to the plane’s captain about the potential danger in Russian airspace and questioned the decision to divert the aircraft hundreds of kilometers to Aktau, Kazakhstan, for an emergency landing.
Azerbaijan’s preliminary investigation suggests the plane was accidentally struck by a Russian air defense missile. While Russia has launched its own criminal investigation, it hasn’t yet confirmed Azerbaijan’s findings. The plane’s black boxes have been sent to Brazil for analysis. The incident has severely strained relations between Azerbaijan and Russia, despite the historically close ties between Presidents Aliyev and Putin. President Aliyev’s strong condemnation marks a significant escalation in the diplomatic fallout from this tragedy.
First Piper 