Azerbaijan president accuses Russia of plane crash

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev accused Russia of being responsible for the AZAL plane crash that occurred in December. He also expressed dissatisfaction with attempts to conceal the details of the tragedy.

The flight data recorders are currently being decoded.

"Responsibility for the deaths of Azerbaijani citizens in the aviation disaster in Aktau lies entirely with representatives of the Russian Federation. We insist on justice, holding the guilty parties accountable, transparency in the investigation, and respect for human dignity," Aliyev emphasised.

The president noted that, in his words, the Russian side had attempted to present the incident as the result of a bird strike or a gas cylinder explosion, which raises serious questions about the honesty and objectivity of the investigative actions.

Aliyev also pointed out deficiencies in the coordination of Russian services: "If the airspace had been closed in a timely manner, ground services had complied with all established standards, and the interaction between the Russian Federation's armed forces and civilian structures had been organised properly, the tragedy could have been avoided."

The President of Azerbaijan demanded full transparency in the investigation and the holding of those responsible to account.