Azerbaijan's president says crashed jetliner was shot down by Russia unintentionally

Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev said Sunday that the Azerbaijani airliner that crashed past week was changeable down by Russia, albeit unintentionally, and criticized Moscow for trying to “hush up” the contented for days.

"We tin accidental with implicit clarity that the level was changeable down by Russia. (...) We are not saying that it was done intentionally, but it was done,” helium told Azerbaijani authorities television.

Aliyev said that the airliner, which crashed Wednesday successful Kazakhstan, was deed by occurrence from the crushed implicit Russia and “rendered uncontrollable by physics warfare." Aliyev accused Russia of trying to “hush up” the contented for respective days, saying helium was “upset and surprised” by versions of events enactment guardant by Russian officials.

“Unfortunately, for the archetypal 3 days we heard thing from Russia but delirious versions,” helium said.

The clang killed 38 of 67 radical connected board. The Kremlin said that aerial defence systems were firing adjacent Grozny, the determination superior of the Russian republic of Chechnya, wherever the level attempted to land, to deflect a Ukrainian drone strike.

Aliyev said Azerbaijan made 3 demands to Russia successful transportation with the crash.

“First, the Russian broadside indispensable apologize to Azerbaijan. Second, it indispensable admit its guilt. Third, punish the guilty, bring them to transgression work and wage compensation to the Azerbaijani state, the injured passengers and unit members,” helium said.

Aliyev noted that the archetypal request was “already fulfilled” erstwhile Russian President Vladimir Putin apologized to him connected Saturday. Putin called the clang a “tragic incident" though stopped abbreviated of acknowledging Moscow’s responsibility.

He said that an probe into the clang was ongoing, and that “the last mentation (of events) volition beryllium known aft the achromatic boxes are opened.”

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Russian authorities media connected Sunday that Putin had spoken to Aliyev implicit the telephone again, but did not supply details of the conversation.

The Kremlin besides said a associated probe by Russia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan was underway astatine the clang tract adjacent the metropolis of Aktau successful Kazakhstan. The level was flying from Azerbaijan’s capital, Baku, to Grozny erstwhile it turned toward Kazakhstan, hundreds of kilometers (miles) crossed the Caspian Sea from its intended destination, and crashed portion making an effort to land.

Passengers and unit who survived the clang told Azerbaijani media that they heard large noises connected the craft arsenic it was circling implicit Grozny.

Dmitry Yadrov, caput of Russia’s civilian aviation authorization Rosaviatsia, said Friday that arsenic the level was preparing to onshore successful Grozny successful heavy fog, Ukrainian drones were targeting the city, prompting authorities to adjacent the country to aerial traffic.

The clang is the 2nd deadly civilian aviation mishap linked to warring successful Ukraine. Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was downed with a Russian surface-to-air missile, sidesplitting each 298 radical aboard, arsenic it flew implicit the country successful eastbound Ukraine controlled by Moscow-backed separatists successful 2014.

Russia has denied responsibility, but a Dutch tribunal successful 2022 convicted 2 Russians and a pro-Russia Ukrainian antheral for their relation successful downing the level with an aerial defence strategy brought into Ukraine from a Russian subject base.

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Associated Press writer Aida Sultanova successful London contributed to this report.