Jetliner Shot Down Unintentionally By Russia: Azerbaijani President

‘We can say with complete clarity that the plane was shot down by Russia,’ Azerbaijan’s president said.

Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev speaks during the Opening Ceremony of the United Nations climate change conference COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Nov. 12, 2024. Maxim Shemetov/Reuters

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said on Dec. 29 that Russia was directly responsible for the crash of a jetliner that killed 38 people, and he indicated that the incident was unintentional.

“We can say with complete clarity that the plane was shot down by Russia,” Aliyev told Azerbaijani state media. “We are not saying that it was done intentionally, but it was done.”