Azerbaijan is calling for Russia to take responsibility for the downing of an Azerbaijani Airlines plane, which deviated from its route over an area known for Russian air defense activity.
On Wednesday, the aircraft, which was en route from Baku to Grozny, crashed in southern Russia. Azerbaijani authorities believe that Russia’s air defense system was responsible for the downing, as the plane deviated over a region where Russian air defenses are frequently used to intercept Ukrainian drones.
The crash occurred near Aktau airport after the aircraft’s control systems failed. Unfortunately, the nearest Russian airport, Makhachkala, was closed at the time, which may have prevented a safer landing and further casualties.
While there has been no claim that the downing was intentional, Baku remains confident that Russia will eventually acknowledge its role, considering the surrounding facts and circumstances. Azerbaijan’s government is pressing Russia to take responsibility for the crash, and the situation continues to be closely monitored.
The area where the incident occurred has been a hotspot for Russian air defense systems targeting Ukrainian drone strikes, leading to speculation that the air defense system may have inadvertently struck the Azerbaijani Airlines flight.
