Individuals mourn on the grave of flight attendant Hokume Aliyeva throughout a funeral of the crew members of the Azerbaijan Airways Embraer 190 killed in a lethal aircraft crash in Kazakhstan this week, on the II Alley of Honor in Baku, Azerbaijan, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024.
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Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev stated Sunday that the Azerbaijani airliner that crashed final week was shot down by Russia, albeit unintentionally, and criticized Moscow for attempting to “hush up” the problem for days.
“We can say with complete clarity that the plane was shot down by Russia. (…) We are not saying that it was done intentionally, but it was done,” he informed Azerbaijani state tv.
Aliyev stated that the airliner, which crashed Wednesday in Kazakhstan, was hit by fireplace from the bottom over Russia and “rendered uncontrollable by electronic warfare.” Aliyev accused Russia of attempting to “hush up” the problem for a number of days, saying he was “upset and surprised” by variations of occasions put ahead by Russian officers.
“Unfortunately, for the first three days we heard nothing from Russia except delirious versions,” he stated.
The crash killed 38 of 67 individuals on board. The Kremlin stated that air protection programs have been firing close to Grozny, the regional capital of the Russian republic of Chechnya, the place the aircraft tried to land, to deflect a Ukrainian drone strike.
Aliyev stated Azerbaijan made three calls for to Russia in reference to the crash.
“First, the Russian side must apologize to Azerbaijan. Second, it must admit its guilt. Third, punish the guilty, bring them to criminal responsibility and pay compensation to the Azerbaijani state, the injured passengers and crew members,” he stated.
Aliyev famous that the primary demand was “already fulfilled” when Russian President Vladimir Putin apologized to him on Saturday. Putin referred to as the crash a “tragic incident” although stopped in need of acknowledging Moscow’s accountability.
He stated that an investigation into the crash was ongoing, and that “the final version (of events) will be known after the black boxes are opened.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin, proper, and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev attend a gathering with railway trade veterans and employees to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the Baikal-Amur Mainline (BAM) development on the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Monday, April 22, 2024.
Gavriil Grigorov/AP/Pool Sputnik Kremlin
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Gavriil Grigorov/AP/Pool Sputnik Kremlin
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov informed Russian state media on Sunday that Putin had spoken to Aliyev over the telephone once more, however didn’t present particulars of the dialog.
The Kremlin additionally stated a joint investigation by Russia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan was underway on the crash website close to town of Aktau in Kazakhstan. The aircraft was flying from Azerbaijan’s capital, Baku, to Grozny when it turned towards Kazakhstan, lots of of kilometers (miles) throughout the Caspian Sea from its supposed vacation spot, and crashed whereas attempting to land.
Passengers and crew who survived the crash informed Azerbaijani media that they heard loud noises on the plane because it was circling over Grozny.
On this picture taken from a video launched by the administration of Mangystau area, part of Azerbaijan Airways’ Embraer 190 lies on the bottom close to the airport of Aktau, Kazakhstan, on Thursday.
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The Administration of Mangystau/AP
Dmitry Yadrov, head of Russia’s civil aviation authority Rosaviatsia, stated Friday that because the aircraft was getting ready to land in Grozny in deep fog, Ukrainian drones have been focusing on town, prompting authorities to shut the realm to air site visitors.
The crash is the second lethal civil aviation accident linked to preventing in Ukraine. Malaysia Airways Flight 17 was downed with a Russian surface-to-air missile, killing all 298 individuals aboard, because it flew over the realm in jap Ukraine managed by Moscow-backed separatists in 2014.
Russia has denied accountability, however a Dutch courtroom in 2022 convicted two Russians and a pro-Russia Ukrainian man for his or her position in downing the aircraft with an air protection system introduced into Ukraine from a Russian army base.
