Azerbaijan Demands Russia’s Accountability Over AZAL Plane Crash

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has confirmed that Baku has formally demanded Russia take responsibility for the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) plane near Aktau, Kazakhstan. Speaking in an interview with Azerbaijan’s AzTV, Aliyev revealed that Azerbaijan’s official requests were delivered to Moscow on December 27.

The demands include a public apology from Russia, an admission of guilt, the prosecution of those responsible for the incident, and compensation for the Azerbaijani state and the victims, including passengers and crew members. Aliyev stated that Russia had already met the first demand, an apology, and expressed confidence that the remaining conditions would also be fulfilled.

Meanwhile, in a telephone conversation, Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Aliyev discussed the crash, with Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirming ongoing talks between the two leaders. The incident has heightened diplomatic tensions, with Azerbaijan insisting on full accountability from Russia.