Azerbaijan’s president warns Russia of legal action over AZAL plane shot down over Donbas
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev (Photo: Getty Images)
Azerbaijan has begun preparing documents to file a lawsuit against Russia over the passenger plane that was shot down in December 2024, states Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev during a meeting with participants of the 3rd Shusha Global Media Forum.
Azerbaijan has not received any official response from Russia regarding the crash of the AZAL Embraer 190 passenger plane that occurred in December 2024 near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan, despite more than seven months having passed since the tragedy.
As Ilham Aliyev noted, Azerbaijan possesses evidence concerning the circumstances of the incident and is confident that the Russian side is also aware of what actually happened.
The President of Azerbaijan firmly rejected the version suggesting that a Ukrainian drone was responsible - an explanation that had been unofficially circulated in the information space.
“The idea of a Ukrainian drone is a story for kindergarten. The plane was attacked twice. Russian airspace had not been closed at the time of the strike - this is further evidence of responsibility,” he stated.
The Azerbaijani leader also reported that an international legal dossier is currently being prepared for submission to judicial bodies. The Russian side has also been warned of potential legal consequences.
“Our requests and demands are completely natural: to acknowledge responsibility for the crash, punish those responsible, and compensate the families of the victims and the AZAL company. But we have received nothing except formal refusals,” Aliyev emphasized.
The president also reported that the pilots managed to save the plane despite serious damage to the fuselage. Two people on board were injured with shrapnel wounds.
Despite the likely lengthy process, Azerbaijan is determined to seek justice.
In Baku, they understand that the process may drag on for years but are prepared to wait as long as necessary - even decades, as was the case with the Malaysian Boeing shot down by Russian forces over Donbas in 2014.
“We will neither forget nor forgive. We are ready to wait ten years, but the truth must be established and the guilty must be punished,” emphasized Ilham Aliyev.
The president also noted that delays in the investigation and the Kremlin’s silence harm bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Russia, leaving the situation unresolved.
