Plane crash in Kazakhstan
Plane crash in Kazakhstan
Plane Crash in Kazakhstan
Advertisement
Supported by
The leader of Azerbaijan criticized the Russian response to the crash of a passenger jet that Azerbaijani officials said had most likely been hit by Russian air defenses.
By Anatoly Kurmanaev
Reporting from Berlin
The Azerbaijani leader on Sunday blamed Russia for the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane last week, and called on Moscow to do its duty and offer compensation to the victims.
President Ilham Aliyev stated in an interview with Azerbaijan national television that the vague apologies presented the day before by Russian President Vladimir V. Putin would not be enough to maintain friendly relations between the two former Soviet states.
The Embraer 190 passenger plane was traveling from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny, southern Russia, on Wednesday, but veered off course after encountering interference with its navigation systems and impact with external objects, according to Azerbaijan’s government. . The plane crashed shortly after in Kazakhstan, killing 38 of the other 67 people on board, most of whom were Azerbaijani citizens.
Azerbaijani and U.S. officials, as well as international aviation experts, had said they believed that the plane was most likely shot down by a Russian air defense missile. Moscow, however, has not admitted responsibility.
Aliyev’s comments on Sunday constitute the ultimate direct rebuke so far to the Kremlin’s position on the crash.
“Today we can clearly state that the plane was shot down through Russia,” Aliyev said in the interview, according to a summary published in English by Azerbaijan’s official news agency. “First of all, the Russian side will have to apologize to Azerbaijan. Secondly, the Russian side will have to apologize to Azerbaijan. , he will have to admit his guilt. Thirdly, the guilty will have to be punished.
We are having trouble retrieving the article content.
Allow JavaScript in your browser settings.
Thank you for your patience while we determine access. If you’re in gamer mode, exit and log into your Times account or subscribe to the full Times.
Thank you for your patience while we determine access.
Are you already subscribed? Access.
Do you want all the Times? Subscribe.
Advertisement