WORLD NEWS – Putin refutes claim Azerbaijani plane was shot down by Russia

Laila Kirkpatrick, Staff Writer

On Sunday, Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev alleged that Russia shot down an Azerbaijani plane, killing 38 of the 67 people on board. Although Aliyev claimed the incident was unintentional, he accused Moscow of attempting to “hush up” the tragedy in the days following the crash.

Aliyev stated: “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 further alleged that Russian officials presented alternative accounts of the crash to obscure the truth. The plane, which crashed in Kazakhstan, was met with what Azerbaijani officials described as “delirious versions” of events from Russian authorities.

In response, Azerbaijani officials issued three demands to Russia: “First, the Russian side must apologize to Azerbaijan. Second, it must admit its guilt. Third, it must punish the responsible parties, bring them to criminal accountability, and pay compensation to the Azerbaijani state, injured passengers, and crew members.”