Last week, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev accused Russia of executing an “absurd” cover-up after its air defenses allegedly “shot down” a passenger plane. Russian President Vladimir Putin apologized for the “tragic incident” but the Kremlin has not officially confirmed if Russian air defenses were responsible for shooting down the plane, which resulted in at least 38 deaths. Aliyev criticized Russia for providing only “absurd versions” in the early days following the incident and accused them of attempting to cover up the matter.
A Kremlin statement claimed that the incident occurred after Russian air defenses engaged with Ukrainian attack drones, but did not outright admit that Russian forces shot down the plane. Aliyev and Putin, who are close allies, held a phone call to discuss the incident but details of their conversation were not publicly disclosed. Crew members and survivors of the Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190-passenger jet reported hearing at least one loud bang before the plane crashed on Christmas day. Passengers described moments of fear and panic, with one survivor recounting how he thought the plane would fall apart after the initial bang, and another passenger mentioning hearing two explosions before the crash.
Subhonkul Rakhimov, a passenger on Flight J2-8243, described the terrifying ordeal from his hospital bed, speaking of how he had prepared for the worst after hearing a bang that indicated the plane had been damaged. Another survivor, Vafa Shabanova, mentioned hearing two explosions in the sky before the plane ultimately crashed to the ground. Both survivors’ testimonies shed light on the chaos and fear experienced by passengers aboard the ill-fated flight. With the investigation ongoing and speculations swirling, Azerbaijan Airlines has blamed the deadly plane crash on “external interference,” adding fuel to the growing suspicion surrounding Russia’s involvement in the incident.
While Russia issued an apology for the tragedy, Azerbaijani President Aliyev’s accusations of a cover-up and his assertion that the plane was shot down accidentally continue to raise questions about the true cause of the crash. Despite being close allies with Putin, Aliyev criticized Russia for providing inconsistent information and attempting to conceal the facts surrounding the incident. The lack of transparency and clarity surrounding the circumstances of the plane crash have fueled speculation and led to calls for a thorough investigation to determine the actual cause of the tragedy that claimed the lives of dozens of passengers and crew members.
