Ilham Aliyev: 'Russia clearly seeks to bury the issue'
Aliyev comments on Aktau plane crash
On 29 December, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, in an interview with Azerbaijan Television, reiterated his demands to Russia regarding the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane in Aktau. The aircraft had been en route from Baku to Grozny on 25 December.
“Firstly, the Russian side must apologise to Azerbaijan. Secondly, it must acknowledge its responsibility. Thirdly, those responsible must be punished and held criminally accountable. Additionally, compensation must be paid to the Azerbaijani state, the injured passengers, and the crew members,” Aliyev stated.
Following the interview, Russian President Vladimir Putin once again contacted his Azerbaijani counterpart to address the incident.
“Putin and Aliyev continued discussing various issues related to the Azerbaijan Airlines crash during a phone call today,” said Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov. A similar statement was released by the Azerbaijani president’s press service.
According to the Kremlin’s press service, Putin had first called Aliyev on 28 December to apologise for the tragic incident, which occurred in Russian airspace. He also expressed his sincere condolences to the families of the victims and wished a swift recovery to the injured.
What did Ilham Aliyev say?
“Of course, the final version will only be known after the black boxes are examined. However, the preliminary findings are well-grounded and based on facts. The facts show that an Azerbaijani civilian aircraft sustained external damage while in Russian airspace near the city of Grozny, rendering it nearly uncontrollable. We also know that the plane was brought to an unmanageable state using electronic warfare systems. Additionally, the tail section of the aircraft was severely damaged by ground fire.
The fact that the fuselage was riddled with holes clearly disproves the initial claims—whose origin remains unknown—of a collision with a flock of birds.
It’s possible that when the plane was damaged or struck, the pilot may have initially perceived it as a bird strike. This assumption likely arose because no one could have imagined that our plane would be fired upon from the ground in a country that is considered friendly to us. Unfortunately, some circles in Russia chose to stick to this narrative. One particularly disheartening and surprising aspect was the suggestion by Russian officials that the incident was caused by the explosion of a gas cylinder.
This openly demonstrated that the Russian side seeks to bury the issue, which, of course, does no credit to anyone involved.”
“Unfortunately, for the first three days, all we heard from Russia were absurd theories”
“Of course, our plane was shot down accidentally. Naturally, there can be no question of any deliberate terrorist act. Therefore, acknowledging responsibility, promptly apologising to Azerbaijan—a country considered friendly—and communicating this to the public were all necessary steps that should have been taken. Unfortunately, for the first three days, all we heard from Russia were absurd theories.
The details of the crash will, of course, be thoroughly investigated—I have no doubt about that. I must also note that Azerbaijan advocated from the very beginning for this matter to be handled by a group of international experts. The Russian side officially proposed that the Interstate Aviation Committee investigate the incident. We categorically rejected this, and the reason is clear. It is no secret that this organisation largely consists of Russian officials, with Russian citizens heading it. Objectivity in this case could not be fully ensured. If we had seen fair and adequate steps from Russia immediately after the crash, perhaps we would not have objected. However, we witnessed clear attempts to bury the issue.”
“A working group comprising only international experts has been established”
“Therefore, we conveyed this position while maintaining close contact with the Kazakh side. We also communicated to the Russian side that a working group consisting solely of international experts needed to be established, and it was. The group includes representatives from the aircraft manufacturer Embraer, relevant institutions in Brazil, and representatives from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Russia, including members of the Interstate Aviation Committee—but not in leading roles, simply as part of the group.
I repeat, once the black boxes are examined and more detailed information becomes available, all the specifics will emerge, and many questions that remain unresolved today will be clarified.
For instance, why was the plane unable to land in Grozny? To what extent did electronic warfare systems affect the plane’s controls? How significant were the consequences of the mid-air strike and the explosion near the aircraft?
I must also point out that denying this obvious fact and attempting to obscure it is both absurd and foolish. Fortunately, thanks to the crew’s heroism, the plane was able to land. Although it was an emergency landing, the aircraft managed to touch down. Many passengers were saved, and their testimonies are available. The injuries inflicted on passengers and crew members by shrapnel piercing the plane are undeniable. Attributing this to birds or presenting it as a gas cylinder explosion is both senseless and shameless.”
“After black boxes are opened, it will become clear…”
“After the black boxes are opened, it will become clear why the plane was unable to land. When exactly was ground fire directed at the plane? Why did the aircraft not attempt to land at the nearest airports? The closest options were the airports in Mineralnye Vody and Makhachkala. Was the plane directed to Aktau, or was this an objective choice?
There are various theories. Some suggest that the aircraft was intentionally sent away by the ground service in Grozny because it was already uncontrollable, and there was a high likelihood it would crash into the sea. In that case, efforts to cover up the incident might succeed, and the so-called ‘bird strike’ theory could be presented as the main explanation.
According to some experts, Aktau was chosen because it is an open area with residential neighbourhoods far from the airport. The crew may have assumed this would be an emergency landing and selected what they believed to be the safest location.
On the other hand, choosing to fly further, over the sea, with the aircraft in an uncontrollable state, instead of landing at closer airports, posed greater risks. So far, there are no clear answers to these questions.
As the Azerbaijani side, and personally myself, we are striving to be as fair as possible. We do not wish to comment on certain unclear matters until they are clarified. However, on the obvious issues, we must and will continue to express our position with full determination.”
Demands to Russia
“We openly communicated our demands to the Russian side. On 27 December, these demands were officially conveyed to them.
What are these demands? First, the Russian side must apologise to Azerbaijan. Second, it must acknowledge its responsibility. Third, those responsible must be punished and held criminally accountable. Additionally, compensation must be paid to the Azerbaijani state, the injured passengers, and the crew members.
These are our conditions. The first of them was fulfilled yesterday. I hope that our other conditions will also be met.
All of these conditions are fair. There is nothing extraordinary or unreasonable about them; they are based on international practice and basic human decency. That’s it.
Once again, I want to emphasise that the Azerbaijani public will be informed and is being informed about all aspects of this issue. The conditions I have outlined are naturally being communicated to the public through you, and I repeat: I hope our conditions will be accepted.”
