“Received damage from outside.” Aliyev named a preliminary version of the plane crash near Aktau. What else did he say?: Transcaucasia: Former USSR: Lenta.ru

President Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev statedthat the plane of Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL), flying from Baku V Grozny and crashed nearby Aktau citywas damaged due to shelling from the ground. However, he noted that the final version will be known after opening all the black boxes.

“But the initial versions are also quite substantiated and based on facts. And the facts are that an Azerbaijani civilian aircraft was damaged from outside on Russian territory, near the city of Grozny, and practically lost control,” the head of state said.

Separately, in his speech on the AzTV channel, Aliyev emphasized that Baku does not believe that the plane was shot down intentionally.

Aliyev called on Russia to admit guilt and pay compensation

The President of Azerbaijan demanded that Russia “admit guilt, punish those responsible and pay compensation” in connection with the crash of the AZAL plane. He emphasized that Baku openly outlined its demands to the Russian side. One of them is an apology for what happened – Moscow already completed. The head of state also said that Russia must admit responsibility for what happened, and those involved must be brought to justice.

He also believes that Azerbaijan and the injured passengers and crew members should receive compensation. Aliyev expressed hope that all these conditions will be accepted.

Meanwhile, Aliyev himself officially apologized to the Russian President twice during his reign. Vladimir Putin. The first time this happened was in 2020, when the Azerbaijani military shot down Russian helicopter mistaken for an aircraft Armenia. Then two pilots died. And the second – in 2023, when, during the escalation of the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, the Azerbaijani army mistakenly fired at car with peacekeepers from RF.

Putin and Aliyev again discussed the plane crash in Aktau

After Aliyev's statement in the Kremlin reportedthat another telephone conversation took place between him and the Russian President, in which the politicians again discussed the plane crash in Aktau.

Before this, about the conversation between the heads of the two states reported the day before, December 28th. At the same time, Putin and Aliyev emphasized that the investigation would be conducted transparently and the public would be regularly informed. In addition, Putin expressed regret over the tragic incident and apologized before his Azerbaijani counterpart for the fact that the incident with the AZAL airline plane occurred in Russian airspace.

The Russian Investigative Committee opened a criminal case into the plane crash

After the first conversation between the heads of the two states, it became known that the airliner, which was strictly on schedule, repeatedly tried to land at Grozny airport. At this time the capital Chechnya, Mozdok And Vladikavkaz attacked Ukrainian combat unmanned aerial vehicles, and Russian air defense systems repelled these attacks.

“The Investigative Committee of Russia has opened a criminal case into the plane crash, and investigators are currently interrogating civilian and military specialists. In addition, employees of the Azerbaijani prosecutor’s office are in Grozny, they work together with representatives of the Prosecutor General’s Office and the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation,” the statement said. Kremlin press service.

Aliyev, in turn, notedthat, at the proposal of the Azerbaijani side, a commission of international experts has been formed for a comprehensive investigation into the causes of this accident, which has already begun work.

Airplane of Azerbaijani airline crashed in Aktau on the way from Baku to Grozny on December 25. There were 67 people on board.

December 26 was announced a day of mourning throughout Azerbaijan after the plane crash.