Ilham Aliyev: 'Russian officials are to blame for Azerbaijani citizens’ deaths in this tragedy'
Aliyev commented on Aktau plane crash
“I can confidently say that the responsibility for the deaths of Azerbaijani citizens in this tragedy rests with representatives of the Russian Federation. We demand justice, accountability for those responsible, full transparency, and humane treatment,” Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stated during a meeting with the families of the victims and the surviving flight attendants from the AZAL plane that crashed in the Kazakh city of Aktau.
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On January 6, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev met with the families of the crew members who perished in the crash of the Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 passenger plane, which went down while operating the Baku-Grozny flight, as well as with the surviving flight attendants.
“On December 25, the AZAL passenger plane flying from Baku to Grozny lost control near Grozny due to external interference, sustained damage, and was rendered almost unmanageable. Thanks to the professionalism, heroism, and dedication of the pilots, the plane managed to make an emergency landing in the city of Aktau. The Azerbaijani state highly valued the actions of the pilots and all crew members. By my decree, following the farewell ceremony for the crew, three members — two pilots and a flight attendant — were awarded the title of ‘National Hero,’ while two other flight attendants received the ‘Rashadat’ (‘Courage’) First-Class Order. Without the professionalism and heroism of the pilots, there would have been no survivors from this tragedy,” Aliyev stated.
According to the President of Azerbaijan, the preliminary investigation into the criminal case initiated by the Azerbaijani General Prosecutor’s Office once again confirms the version presented by Azerbaijani authorities:
“Once again, I stress that this is preliminary data. Naturally, upon the investigation’s completion, we will provide the Azerbaijani public with full information. However, I want to highlight one detail I mentioned on December 29: in the city of Grozny, Operation ‘Kover,’ [Carpet] meaning the closure of airspace, was announced only after the plane was fired upon from the ground.
This further demonstrates the presence of very serious issues with criminal elements involved. Typically, when there is a threat in a country’s airspace, it is immediately closed. This procedure is followed in every country, though it goes by different names. In Russia, it is referred to as Operation ‘Kover.'”
“If there was a threat to Russian airspace, the captain of the plane should have been immediately informed. The airspace should have been closed without delay, and the plane should have turned back.
I must also point out that about 10 days before this tragic crash, a similar incident occurred near the city of Grozny. An AZAL plane turned back halfway through its journey.
Why wasn’t the crew warned this time? Naturally, the investigation will reveal this. Once again, I want to emphasize that the information we have is based on the truth.”
Attempts by Russian state institutions to cover up this incident and insist on absurd explanations provoke our astonishment, regret, and justified outrage..
Innocent lives were lost. I repeat, it was only due to the heroism of the pilots and crew members that about 30 people survived this tragedy, though several sustained severe injuries. I must also note that the majority of those who perished in the crash were Azerbaijani citizens. At the same time, Russian and Kazakh citizens also lost their lives, while citizens of Kyrgyzstan were injured.”
In his speech, Aliyev emphasized that the pilots likely knew they would not survive the crash:
“They were experienced pilots, and it was thanks to their professionalism that they somehow managed to bring the out-of-control plane to the landing site and make an emergency landing. The other crew members — the flight attendants — also displayed remarkable composure. They showed great courage in preventing chaos on the plane. They, too, saw and understood what awaited them. They likely did not even hope to emerge from this situation unscathed. Their restraint, composure, and bravery in such a moment once again highlight their outstanding qualities, especially considering that two of the flight attendants were women.”
Ilham Aliyev addressed the examination of the plane’s “black boxes” recovered from the crash site:
“The process of decoding the black boxes has begun. At our insistence, this is being conducted in Brazil. As I mentioned in a television interview on December 29, despite all the proposals and pressure, we categorically opposed the Interstate Aviation Committee handling the decoding of the black boxes because objectivity in this matter could have been called into question. Legally speaking, there could have been a conflict of interest.
Therefore, with the participation of representatives from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Russia, the analysis of the black boxes has started in Brazil, and we expect information on this to be available soon. Naturally, all unresolved questions will be clarified.
It is clear as day that the plane was rendered uncontrollable by electronic warfare measures. It is also evident that the aircraft was damaged by ground fire. But why was the plane directed to Aktau? We currently lack information on this. Was this decision made by local air traffic controllers, or did the pilots themselves realize that electronic warfare in Russian airspace would no longer allow them to land and chose this option on their own? We do not yet have this information. Naturally, once the black boxes are fully analyzed, this information will emerge.
Had timely measures been taken to close Russian airspace near Grozny, had all ground service regulations been followed, and had proper coordination existed between the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and civilian services, this tragedy could have been prevented.
I am not ready to disclose all materials from the criminal case yet. However, based on the initial investigation, I can confidently state that responsibility for the deaths of Azerbaijani citizens in this tragedy lies with representatives of the Russian Federation. We demand justice, we demand accountability for those responsible, and we demand complete transparency and humane conduct.
The fact that the black boxes were sent to Brazil underscores our insistence on objectivity. As I mentioned during the farewell ceremony for the crew, if we had seen an effort by Russian officials from the very first minutes or hours to investigate this tragedy objectively, we likely would have agreed to the Interstate Aviation Committee decoding the black boxes. We have worked with this organization for decades and cooperated actively. It has essentially been the main body investigating aviation accidents in the former USSR.
However, when we saw attempts to cover up the incident, blaming it on birds or a gas cylinder explosion, doubts about the objectivity of this organization’s investigation arose both for me and the Azerbaijani public. Now that the decoding of the black boxes is underway, I am confident that we will soon learn the preliminary results. The full picture of what happened in this tragedy will become clear. This will undoubtedly be a crucial step toward a thorough investigation of this tragedy and holding those responsible accountable,” emphasized the Azerbaijani leader.
