Azerbaijan’s president baselessly accuses Russia of covering up plane crash Points out the flight was shot down.

President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan Accusing Russia of covering up nonsense after its air defense system was accused of “shooting down” a passenger plane last week.

Russian President Vladimir Putin apologized for “tragic events” this weekend. But the Kremlin has not officially said that Russian air defense systems shot down the plane. At least 38 people died in the incident.

“Our plane was shot down by accident,” Aliyev told state television on Sunday. “Unfortunately, in the first three days we heard only nonsensical versions from Russia.”

“We see clear attempts to cover up this matter,” he added.

Azerbaijan Airlines blames deadly plane crash on ‘External intervention’ as Russia speculation grows

Efforts to collect evidence are underway at the crash site of the Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) passenger plane near Aktau. Kazakhstan on December 1, September 27, 2024. (Meiramgul Kussainova/Anadolu via Getty Images)

A Kremlin statement said the incident occurred after Russian air defenses clashed with a Ukrainian drone strike. But it did not directly say that Russian forces had shot down the plane.

It’s ‘not very clear’ what happened in Azerbaijan airline accident, former government official says

Aliyev is a close ally of Putin’s regime. And the pair spoke by phone about the incident on Sunday. The two sides did not reveal details of their conversation.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev leaves a polling station in Khankendi. Azerbaijan (Azerbaijani Presidential Publishing House via AP)

The crew and survivors of the 190-seat Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer passenger plane said they heard at least one loud noise before the plane crashed on Christmas Day.

Azerbaijan Airlines blames deadly plane crash on ‘External intervention’ as Russia speculation grows

Supolkul Rakhimov, one of the passengers on flight J2-8243, told Reuters from the hospital that he had begun praying and preparing for the end after hearing a loud bang.

The plane was traveling from Baku. capital of Azerbaijan to the Russian city of Grozny in the North Caucasus, the Associated Press reports. (Mangistau District Administration)

“After the explosion… I thought the plane was going to crash,” Rakhimov told the outlet. “The plane was obviously damaged in some way. It’s like it’s drunk. It’s not the same plane anymore.”

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Surviving passenger Vafa Shabanova said: “There were two explosions in the sky. And an hour and a half later the plane crashed to the ground.”

Reuters contributed to this report.