Headline
Azerbaijan's Leader Accuses Russia of Fatal Aircraft Accident and Alleged Concealment
An Azerbaijan Airlines plane inadvertently collided with Russian territory on Christmas Day, causing its downfall and the tragic loss of 38 lives, as per Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev's assertions on Sunday. Nevertheless, the actual cause behind the airspace calamity remains unclear.
Crucial Details
Aliyev declared that the plane suffered an accidental impact while flying over Russian territory and there's no conjecture of deliberate terrorism involved, as reported by Azerbaijani agency AZERTAC.
The Azerbaijani leader alleged that the plane was ousted from control by certain unspecified electronic warfare devices, while its tail suffered severe damage due to flames emanating from the ground.
Russian institutions propagated several false presumptions about the disaster's cause, such as an "explosion of some gas cylinder," and intentionally obscured the event, according to Aliyev. He further stated that the craft's exterior bore numerous holes, thereby ruling out speculations of a bird strike, which some claimed had caused the collision.
Aliyev advocated for an apology from Russia, acknowledgment of guilt, and punishment of the culprits. He also urged compensation for the damages sustained by Azerbaijan and the injured passengers and crew.
Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin representative, disclosed that Putin and Aliyev held a phone conversation discussing various topics connected to the disaster, as per Russian state-run outlet Tass, without divulging further details.
Factors left Unknown
Why the Azerbaijan Airlines plane met with a catastrophic end. The survivors recounted to Reuters that the plane seemed to have undergone some sort of damage as they heard loud bangs near Grozny, Russia. Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency initially accused the crash of a combination of weather and bird collision. U.S. National Security Spokesperson John Kirby mentioned that preliminary data indicated the possibility of the jet being struck down by Russian defensive systems.
Russia's Stance on the Crash
Putin offered his apologies for the occurrence of the deadly incident in Russian airspace, as per the Kremlin, during an earlier telephone conversation with Aliyev. Putin conceded that Russian forces were targeting Ukrainian drones near Grozny in the planned plane's location at the time of the crash; however, he didn't confirm shooting down the plane.
Background Information
On Christmas Day, Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 encountered catastrophe while heading towards Grozny, Russia, from Baku, Azerbaijan. There were 62 passengers and 5 crew members on board, with 29 lucky survivors, though many sustained critical injuries. A preliminary investigation by Azerbaijan Airlines suggested the crash might have been due to external interference, while other evidence hinted at external disturbances affecting the flight. A diversity of aviation specialists implicated Russia, asserting that the plane was mistakenly downed by Russian forces while targeting Ukrainian drones around Grozny. Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Russia are independently investigating the incident.
Additional Reading
The Azerbaijani Airlines plane that crashed in Russian territory on Christmas Day was operated by Azerbaijan Airlines, as mentioned by Ilham Aliyev, the President of Azerbaijan. Furthermore, Ilham Aliyev had a conversation about the incident with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as reported by Russian state-run outlet Tass.
