"Russia Covers Up Plane Shootdown as Bird Flock Collision"... Azerbaijan Angered by Putin's Apology

Putin Refuses to Fully Accept Responsibility for Russia
"Avoiding Accountability by Claiming Bird Strike and Mechanical Failure"

On the 25th (local time), debris of an Embraer-190 aircraft belonging to Azerbaijan Airlines that crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan. The passenger plane is reported to have been shot down by the Russian military air defense system while passing through Russian airspace. Photo by Reuters and Yonhap News.

Diplomatic tensions between Russia and Azerbaijan are escalating over the crash of an Azerbaijani passenger plane reportedly shot down by Russian air defense forces' friendly fire. Although Russian President Vladimir Putin personally called Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to offer an apology, Russia's refusal to fully accept responsibility has instead fueled the conflict. The Azerbaijani public's anger is intensifying as the current Russian military stance contrasts sharply with Azerbaijan's immediate acceptance of responsibility when a Russian military helicopter was downed by Azerbaijani friendly fire in 2020.

President Aliyev: "Russia Must Apologize Immediately and Admit Guilt"

On the 29th (local time), President Ilham Aliyev held a press conference at Heydar Aliyev International Airport in Baku, Azerbaijan. In the press conference, he demanded an immediate apology from Russia, acknowledgment of responsibility for the incident, and punishment of those responsible. Photo by Reuters and Yonhap News.

On the 29th (local time), President Aliyev held a press conference at Heydar Aliyev International Airport near the capital Baku, stating, "We can say with full certainty that the passenger plane was shot down by Russia," and criticized, "Russia tried to cover up the incident for the first three days, making absurd claims such as bird strikes and mechanical failure."

He continued, "We have presented three demands to Russia: First, they must apologize to Azerbaijan. Second, they must admit their guilt. Third, those responsible must be punished and held criminally liable, and compensation must be paid to the Azerbaijani state, as well as to the injured passengers and crew." Despite President Putin's apology during a phone call the previous day, Aliyev strongly condemned Russia for still evading responsibility.

The downed passenger plane was Azerbaijan Airlines flight J28243, an Embraer-190 model. On the 25th, it departed from Baku, Azerbaijan, heading to Grozny, Russia. After experiencing mechanical issues, the flight diverted and attempted to land in Aktau, western Kazakhstan, where it crashed. There were 67 people on board, of whom 38 died.

The Russian government initially denied responsibility, citing bad weather, mechanical failure, and bird strikes. However, investigations by Kazakh and Azerbaijani authorities concluded that the aircraft was likely shot down by Russian air defense forces' friendly fire. At the time the plane was heading to Grozny, Russian forces were engaged in combat with Ukrainian military drones and apparently misidentified the passenger plane as a drone, resulting in the friendly fire incident.

The Russian government has refused to comment on responsibility for the friendly fire incident and has declined to disclose the contents of the phone call between Presidents Putin and Aliyev. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated at a briefing, "President Putin spoke again with President Aliyev by phone, but the details of the conversation cannot be disclosed."

Contrast with 2020 Russian Military Helicopter Friendly Fire Incident: Azerbaijan Immediately Apologized

On the 26th (local time), Kazakhstani rescue workers are investigating the interior of an Embraer-190 aircraft belonging to Azerbaijan Airlines that crashed near Aktau. Photo by AFP·Yonhap News

Azerbaijan's strong reaction to this friendly fire incident stems from the fact that, unlike Russia's continued denial, the Azerbaijani government immediately accepted responsibility, apologized, and proposed compensation when a Russian military helicopter was downed by Azerbaijani friendly fire four years ago.

According to The New York Times (NYT), in November 2020, a Russian military helicopter was shot down by Azerbaijani forces in the border area between Azerbaijan and Armenia, killing two pilots and injuring one. The Azerbaijani government promptly acknowledged the friendly fire incident through a Foreign Ministry statement and accepted liability for compensation.

At that time, Azerbaijan was at war with neighboring Armenia, and by fully accepting responsibility for the friendly fire incident, it sought to avoid direct Russian military intervention. Russia did not make a major issue of the incident, and relations between the two countries somewhat improved, NYT reported.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijan, which borders Russia, T?rkiye, and Iran, has been engaged in a border dispute with neighboring Armenia since the 1980s. Russia provides indirect military support to Armenia based on a mutual defense treaty.