Tashkent (TDI): Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev claimed on Sunday that the passenger airliner that crashed last week, killing 38 people, had been shot at from the ground in Russia.
He made these remarks a day after President Vladimir Putin apologized for the “tragic accident” without accepting the blame in a phone call.
In a statement on Saturday, the Kremlin said Russian air defence systems were downing Ukrainian drones when the accident happened.
Read More: Aleem Condoles Azerbaijani Ambassador on Plane Crash
The Russian president also expressed condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to the injured.
In his televised address, President Aliyev said “some in Russia had lied about the cause of the disaster” and that the plane had been shot down by accident.
It added that the plane came under some sort of electronic jamming before being shot at near the southern Russian city of Grozny.
Read More: 38 Dead in Azerbaijan Airline Plane Crash
Aliyev cited Russian media stories that claimed the accident was caused by gas cylinder explosions or birds, saying, “Unfortunately, in the first three days we heard only absurd versions from Russia.”
The president termed them a “clear attempt to cover up the matter,” President Aliyev said, who has close ties to Russia.
He demanded Russia to accept the blame for downing the plane crash and punish those responsible.
