9th January 2025 – (Moscow) On 9th January, the Kremlin refrained from confirming allegations that Russian forces accidentally fired upon an Azerbaijani Airlines passenger jet, which crashed in Kazakhstan on 25th December, killing 38 individuals. Despite repeated calls from Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev for Russia to accept responsibility, the Kremlin remains noncommittal.
Aliyev asserted that the aircraft was struck “from the ground” while approaching Grozny, a city in Russia, where it was scheduled to land. Russian officials have stated that their air defences were engaged in repelling Ukrainian drone attacks at the time but have not explicitly admitted to shooting at the plane.
Aliyev, who maintains a close relationship with Moscow, reiterated this week that the blame lies with Russia, accusing it of attempting to conceal the true circumstances surrounding the incident. He has called for a transparent and impartial investigation to ascertain the causes of the crash.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated, “We are waiting for the results of the commission,” emphasising that Russian experts are fully cooperating with the investigation.
In previous communications, Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed regret over the incident occurring in Russian airspace. However, the Kremlin has not confirmed that he accepted any responsibility during his conversations with Aliyev.
Aliyev has voiced his frustration regarding Moscow’s response to the crash, demanding accountability and an apology while insisting that the air defence measures for Grozny were only announced after the plane had been struck.
Azerbaijan’s preliminary investigation suggests that the aircraft was hit by a Russian air defence missile, with reports indicating it was riddled with holes.
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