Azerbaijan urges Russia to accept blame for Christmas Day plane crash

President Iham Aliyev says Moscow initially tried to "cover up" its role in the Azerbaijan Airlines crash.

British Broadcasting CorporationWatch LiveHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsArts in MotionTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthVideoLiveAudioWeatherNewslettersAzerbaijan urges Russia to accept blame for plane crashReutersAzerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev has called on Russia to accept blame for a plane crash on Christmas Day that killed 38 people.

The plane is thought to have come under fire from Russian air defence systems as it tried to land in Chechnya before being diverted to Kazakhstan, where it crashed.

On Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin apologised to the Azerbaijani president over the downing of the plane in Russian airspace - but stopped short of taking responsibility.

Aliyev accused Moscow of an initial "cover up" over its involvement in the crash. While accepting Putin's apology, he said Russia "must admit its guilt" and pay compensation.

The Azerbaijan Airlines plane had been en route from Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, to the Chechen capital of Grozny on 25 December when it is thought to have come under fire.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgrzvn7y5lo

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