Our plane was blinded and shot down by Russia – Azerbaijan's President Aliyev

Aliyev made this statement in a special interview from Heydar Aliyev International Airport in Baku, which aired on Sunday, December 29. The full text of the interview is available on the official website of the Azerbaijani President and has been widely quoted by the state news agency AZERTAG in a series of reports.

What happened?

Aliyev emphasized that the airliner was affected by Russian air defense actions. According to him, the aircraft was brought into an "uncontrolled state" and then shot down. The president credited the professionalism and heroism of the pilots for partially saving the plane and its passengers.

"As a result, there are survivors of the plane crash. Because of this, part of the fuselage did not burn, and today we can unequivocally say that the plane was shot down by Russia," Aliyev said.

The President of Azerbaijan outlined the currently established sequence of Russian actions that led to the crash of the Embraer E190.

"Of course, the final version will be known after the black boxes are opened. But the initial versions are well-founded and based on facts. The facts are that the Azerbaijani civilian plane sustained external damage over Russian territory near the city of Grozny and practically lost control. We also know that our plane was brought into an uncontrollable state by means of electronic warfare. This was the first damage inflicted on the aircraft," stated the President of Azerbaijan.

He continued, "After that, as a result of fire opened from the ground, the tail section of the plane was severely damaged."

Aliyev dismissed Russian propaganda versions, initially spread in the information space, about a supposed "flock of birds" or "an oxygen tank explosion onboard," calling them "absurd and foolish."

What remains unclear

"Why was the plane unable to land in the city of Grozny? To what extent did electronic warfare systems affect the control of the aircraft? What was the impact (on the aircraft) of the strike in the air and the explosion near the plane?" These are the questions that need answers, as stated by the President of Azerbaijan.

What Azerbaijan demands from Russia:

On December 27, these demands were officially conveyed to the Russian side, Aliyev stated, listing the following points:

"Firstly, the Russian side must apologize to Azerbaijan.

Secondly, it must acknowledge its guilt.

Thirdly, those responsible must be punished and held criminally accountable, and compensation must be paid to the Azerbaijani state, the affected passengers, and crew members. These are our conditions."

"The first condition was already fulfilled yesterday. I hope the other conditions will also be met. All these demands are fair. There are no extraordinary requests or issues; they are based on international experience and the principles of normal human behavior," concluded the President of Azerbaijan.

Aviation Tragedy in Kazakhstan

On the morning of December 25, a passenger plane traveling west over the Caspian Sea from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny, Chechnya, crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, on the Caspian's eastern shore. The accident claimed the lives of 38 people.

Preliminary investigation findings revealed that a Russian surface-to-air missile caused the crash.

Azerbaijani Airlines and Azerbaijan’s Minister of Digital Development and Transport, Rashad Nabiyev, referred to "external interference" as the initial cause of the incident.

U.S. response: White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby stated on December 27 that the U.S. had evidence indicating the Azerbaijani Airlines plane was likely shot down by a Russian air defense system.

Russian claims: Russian sources alleged that Ukrainian drones attacked Grozny, Mozdok, and Vladikavkaz that morning, prompting Russian air defense systems to "repel these attacks."

Despite Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine and the closure of Ukrainian airspace, international flights to Russia continue.