Azerbaijan threatens legal action against Russia over plane downing
Azerbaijan plans to sue Russia for the downing of its Embraer E190 plane over Grozny if Moscow does not acknowledge fault, according to a report by "Azeri-Press" (APA). The agency states that evidence, facts, and testimonials are currently being collected, with preparations underway to bring the case to an international court.
"Azerbaijan's conditions and what it wants are clear, and they have been announced at the highest level. (...) Moscow must openly admit its guilt and take responsibility. Otherwise, Baku is ready for further steps," writes APA.
"Biased approach" from Moscow
The Azerbaijani authorities are angered that even after Kazakhstan's Ministry of Transport released a preliminary report on the December 25 crash of an "Azerbaijan Airlines" (AZAL) plane in Aktau, the Russian side continues to exhibit a ""biased and one-sided approach" to the incident. They argue this is demonstrated by Rosaviatsia's stance, which stated that the report does not provide conclusions regarding the causes of the event.
Rosaviatsia, the Russian aviation market regulator, noted that the crew had reported a bird strike and gas cylinder explosion onboard to the controllers, subsequently deciding to land in Aktau, even though Russia offered alternative airports in Makhachkala and Mineralnye Vody. Additionally, Rosaviatsia highlighted that Moscow had not received any "foreign objects" that might have damaged the plane for its analysis.
However, the Russian authority's publication excluded other details from the report, such as that the air traffic controller at Grozny airport declared the airspace closed under the "Carpet" plan only after the plane sustained damage. Rosaviatsia also omitted the report's findings that there were no traces of a bird strike or an oxygen tank explosion.
Moscow wants to sweep the matter under the rug
According to APA, in Azerbaijan, there is a belief that Moscow intends to conceal the issue, placing blame on the plane's crew for the crash, using tactics reminiscent of the Malaysian Boeing incident, which was shot down in 2014 over rebel-controlled Donbas by a Russian "Buk" air defence system.
In the 2014 incident, 298 people lost their lives, and while the Russian Ministry of Defence blamed Ukraine for the disaster, a court in The Hague reached different conclusions.
Currently, Russian authorities claim that at the time the AZAL plane was hit, Chechnya was countering an attack by Ukrainian drones. Meanwhile, Azerbaijan asserts that the plane was struck by a Russian "Pantsir-S" anti-aircraft system.
A source within the Azerbaijani government informed Reuters that they possess a fragment of the involved missile, which was extracted from the wreckage of the plane and identified during an international examination. Furthermore, there are indications that the firing came from a military unit in the Chechen region of Khankala.
The AZAL Embraer E190 plane, flying from Baku to Grozny, crashed on December 25 in the Aktau region. Thirty-eight people died, and twenty-nine were injured.
Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev attributed the crash to Russian responsibility and demanded accountability for those responsible. He also condemned Moscow's efforts to "cover up the case" and conceal the fact that the plane was fired upon by Russian air defence, using "absurd theories" like a bird strike and onboard gas cylinder explosion.
