Zelenskyy compared Azerbaijani plane crash to MH17 tragedy and pointed to Russia's responsibility

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that growing evidence points to Russia’s responsibility for the crash of the Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash in Kazakhstan. The president compared this tragedy to the downing of a Malaysia Airlines MH17 flight by a Russian Buk missile system in 2014.

Source: European Pravda, citing Zelenskyy on X (Twitter)

Details: The president expressed his condolences to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and the people of Azerbaijan following the crash of the Azerbaijan Airlines flight.

Quote: "We can see how the clear visual evidence at the crash site points to Russia's responsibility for the tragedy."

More details: Zelenskyy also drew parallels between the crash of the Azerbaijan Airlines flight and the downing of MH17 in Donbas in July 2014, which was shot down by a Russian Buk missile system.

Quote: "If Russia decides to spread lies in the same way that it did in the MH17 case, we will need to consolidate all international pressure on Moscow in order to establish the truth and ensure accountability." 

Background:

• On 25 December, an Embraer aircraft of Azerbaijan Airlines en route from Baku to Grozny crashed near Aktau (the administrative centre of Kazakhstan's Mangistau Oblast), resulting in the death of 38 people.
• Azerbaijan Airlines stated on Friday, 27 December, that their plane suffered "external physical and technical interference".
• Rashad Nabiyev, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Digital Development and Transport, noted that eyewitness accounts and perforations in the aircraft fuselage suggest external interference and the type of weapon involved will be determined by the investigation.

Support UP or become our patron!