Official statements from the Russian government or verified news sources

Azerbaijani President Accuses Russia of Responsibility for Azerbaijan Airlines Crash Killing 38 on December 25, 2024

Jan 6, 2025, 11:39 AM

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has accused Russia of being responsible for the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 plane near Aktau, Kazakhstan, on December 25, 2024, which resulted in the deaths of 38 Azerbaijani citizens out of the 67 people on board. The plane was en route to Grozny. Aliyev stated that the responsibility for the deaths lies with representatives of the Russian Federation, asserting that the plane was shot down by Russian air defenses. He criticized Russia for not informing the plane's captain of any danger in Russian airspace and questioned the decision to divert the plane to Aktau. Aliyev demanded justice, punishment for those responsible, and full transparency from Russia regarding the incident.