Azerbaijan’s president said Sunday that the passenger plane that crashed last week near the Kazakh city of Aktau had been damaged by "ground fire."
Speaking to Azerbaijani television, Ilham Aliyev said initial work on the cause of the deadly crash had begun, but that a fuller answer would emerge after an examination of the aircraft's black boxes.
"The facts indicate that the Azerbaijani civilian plane was damaged from the outside over Russian territory, near the city of Grozny, and almost lost control. We also know that means of electronic warfare put our plane out of control.
"At the same time, as a result of weapons fire from the ground, the tail of the plane was also severely damaged," he added.
He also said that, based on the many holes on the plane's fuselage, the theory of the plane colliding with a flock of birds has been "completely ruled out."
Aliyev later said that the theory of an explosion on board the plane put forth by Russia was "regrettable and surprising," claiming that this shows Moscow is attempting a cover-up.
Saying there can be no talk of a "deliberate act of terror" causing the crash, Aliyev reiterated that the details of the accident will be fully investigated.
Expectations from Russia
Regarding what Azerbaijan expects from Russia, Aliyev said they have told Moscow that they want a formal apology first.
"Secondly, it must acknowledge its guilt. Thirdly, those responsible must be punished and brought to criminal responsibility, and compensation must be paid to the Azerbaijani state, to the injured passengers and crew members. These are our conditions," he added.
Later in the day, Aliyev signed a decree awarding the three crew members killed in the crash, including the two pilots on board, with the title of National Hero of Azerbaijan. The two injured crew members, meanwhile, both received the Rashadat Order.
On Wednesday an Azerbaijan Airlines flight, en route from Azerbaijan’s capital Baku to Grozny in Russia's Chechen Republic, crashed 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) from Aktau on the Caspian Sea coast.
Kazakh authorities said 38 people were killed in the crash of the Embraer 190 aircraft, which had 67 people on board, while 29 survived. Investigations into the incident are ongoing.
Initial statements said a bird collision might have caused the crash, though footage from the site revealed large holes in the tail section of the aircraft, leading to speculation of a possible attack.
Earlier Thursday, senior Azerbaijani officials confirmed to Anadolu reports suggesting the plane crash was caused by a Russian missile system.
According to a Kremlin statement on Saturday. Russian President Vladimir Putin held a phone conversation with Aliyev, during which he apologized that the incident took place in Russian airspace and offered his condolences.
