Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has publicly accused Russia of unintentionally shooting down Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8432, leading to the deaths of 38 people and injuries to 29 others. The Embraer 190 jetliner crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, last Wednesday while en route from Baku to Grozny, the capital of Russia's Chechnya region.
In a televised address on Sunday, Aliyev said, "We can say with complete clarity that the plane was shot down by Russia. We are not saying that it was done intentionally, but it was done." He alleged the airliner was struck by ground fire and "rendered uncontrollable by electronic warfare," forcing it off course before the crash. Russian officials initially attributed the crash to a bird strike, a claim experts quickly dismissed as implausible.
Aliyev criticized Moscow for its delayed acknowledgment of the incident, stating, "For the first three days, we heard nothing from Russia except delirious versions." He further accused Russian authorities of attempting to "hush up" the matter.
Russian President Vladimir Putin apologized to Aliyev on Saturday, calling the crash a "tragic incident." However, the Kremlin has not officially admitted responsibility, merely noting that Russian air defense systems were active in response to Ukrainian drone strikes near Grozny at the time of the crash.
Aliyev has outlined three demands to Russia: a public apology, acknowledgment of guilt, and compensation for Azerbaijan, as well as punitive measures against those responsible. While Putin's apology addressed the first demand, Aliyev emphasized that further steps are needed. "Those responsible must be punished, brought to criminal responsibility, and compensation must be paid to the Azerbaijani state and the injured passengers and crew members," he said.
Survivors of the crash reported hearing loud noises as the aircraft circled over Grozny. Dmitry Yadrov, head of Russia's civil aviation authority, stated on Friday that Ukrainian drones were targeting Grozny in heavy fog, prompting authorities to restrict air traffic in the area.
The investigation into the crash is ongoing. The flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder were recovered but are reportedly damaged, which could delay analysis. South Korean officials have also launched a joint investigation with Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, while rejecting Russia's proposal for the Interstate Aviation Committee, composed mostly of Russian officials, to oversee the inquiry. Aliyev stressed the importance of objectivity, saying, "The factors of objectivity could not be fully ensured" under Russia's suggested framework.
The crash has drawn parallels to previous aviation tragedies linked to regional conflict. Notably, Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was downed by a Russian surface-to-air missile in 2014 over eastern Ukraine, killing 298 people. While Russia has denied involvement, a Dutch court convicted three individuals for their roles in that disaster.
