In an interview with Azeri state television, Aliyev stated, “We can say with complete certainty that the plane was shot down by Russia.”
Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev addressed the downing of Azerbaijan Airlines Flight J2-8243 on Sunday, emphasizing that while the attack may not have been intentional, Russia bears responsibility. The flight, en route from Baku to Grozny, crash-landed in Aktau, Kazakhstan, on Christmas Day, killing 38 of the 67 passengers and crew aboard.
“We are not saying that it was done intentionally, but it was done,” Aliyev remarked during an interview with Azeri state television.
Russian officials initially claimed the crash resulted from bird strikes, but this explanation was widely dismissed by aviation experts outside Moscow. Ukrainian officials highlighted that the plane’s route passed through an area where Russian forces were targeting Ukrainian drones. Evidence, including survivor testimony and visual analysis, suggested the aircraft had been struck by bullets or shrapnel from a surface-to-air missile, penetrating its fuselage.
While Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan were initially hesitant to confront Russia publicly—due to their ongoing efforts to strengthen ties with Moscow—anonymous Azeri officials soon began to acknowledge overwhelming evidence implicating Russia.
Aliyev stated that Flight J2-8243 "suffered external damage" from surface-to-air weapons over Russian airspace and may have been affected by electronic warfare systems, which likely caused the plane to divert across the Caspian Sea to Kazakhstan before the emergency landing attempt.
Expressing frustration with Moscow, Aliyev criticized Russian authorities for promoting "delirious versions" of the crash instead of accepting responsibility. “It openly showed that the Russian side wants to hush up the issue, and this, of course, reflects no honor on anyone,” he said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin offered his condolences to Aliyev in a phone call on Sunday, referring to the incident as a “tragic event” but stopping short of accepting blame. This response reportedly angered Aliyev, who laid out three demands for Moscow: a formal apology, an admission of guilt, and accountability for those responsible, including compensation for the victims and the Azerbaijani government.
According to Aliyev, Putin fulfilled the first demand by apologizing but remained noncommittal regarding the admission of guilt and the prosecution of those involved. Aliyev noted that accountability would likely extend to Russian field commanders who permitted the attack.
In response to the incident, Azerbaijan has suspended flights to seven Russian cities and barred flights from three Russian cities to Azerbaijan.