Aliyev: Azerbaijani Plane Crashed Due to Russian Fire

Ilham Aliyev, the President of Azerbaijan, announced that the crash of the passenger plane of his country in Kazakhstan, which resulted in the death of 38 people, was caused by Russian ground-to-air fire. According to the state television of Azerbaijan on Sunday, January 9, Aliyev expressed regret over the attempts by 'certain circles' in Russia to distort the truth regarding the crash of the Azerbaijani plane. The report stated that some in Russia had attempted to provide false narratives about the reasons for the crash of the Azerbaijani Airlines passenger plane by concealing the truth. Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, apologized to Ilham Aliyev for the downing of the commercial passenger plane in Russian airspace, while not acknowledging Russia's responsibility for this 'tragic incident.' Meanwhile, Reuters reported, citing two passengers and a crew member of the ill-fated Azerbaijani Airlines flight, that they heard at least one loud explosion as the plane approached its initial destination. Flight 'J2-8243' of Azerbaijani Airlines crashed on Wednesday, January 5, after deviating from its original destination, Grozny, the capital of Chechnya, hundreds of miles away across the Caspian Sea near the city of Aktau, Kazakhstan. At least 38 people were killed, and 29 survived. According to Reuters, Russian air defense systems in the area have repeatedly been activated against Ukrainian drone attacks. One passenger told Reuters that after hearing the explosion, he thought the plane was going to crash and began to pray. Another passenger said that after hearing two loud explosions, he was terrified, and the flight attendant instructed passengers to move to the back of the plane. Both passengers reported that following the explosions, the cabin oxygen level was compromised. A flight attendant also told Reuters that the plane was unable to land due to foggy weather, and after the pilot decided to turn around, the explosions were heard. According to her, an object struck the left wing of the plane, three explosions were heard, and the cabin pressure dropped. Following this incident, Azerbaijani Airlines canceled several of its flights to Russian cities and stated that the incident occurred as a result of a 'foreign physical and technical intervention.' Reuters, citing four sources familiar with the findings of Azerbaijan's investigation into the incident, reported that Russian air defense systems mistakenly shot down the plane. Previously, Russia had stated that it would wait for the completion of the official investigation into the incident to determine exactly what happened. Putin apologized to Azerbaijan for the downing of the passenger plane. A statement from the families of the victims of the Ukrainian flight regarding the downing of the Azerbaijani plane. An American official: Russian defense likely shot down the Azerbaijani plane. Increased speculation about the cause of the fatal crash of the Azerbaijani plane. Reports: Military area in Russia caused the diversion of the Azerbaijani plane's path.