BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 27. Ukraine calls for a fair and impartial investigation into the causes of the crash of the Azerbaijan Airlines plane near Aktau, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote on his X page, TutkicWorld reports.
"The Azerbaijan Airlines jet crash is horrific. We express our condolences to Azerbaijan. It is noteworthy that Russian media lied about the cause of the crash and that Russia forced the damaged jet to cross the sea, most likely in an attempt to conceal evidence of their crime," he said.
The minister pointed out that photos and videos from the cabin and after the crash are a smoking gun (of a Russian anti-aircraft system).
"We call for a fair and impartial investigation to ensure that those responsible are held to account. We must not let Russia lie, avoid responsibility, or shift blame," he added.
The tragedy occurred on December 25, when an Embraer 190 plane operated by AZAL, en route from Baku to Grozny, crashed just 3 kilometers from Aktau Airport.
The Embraer 190 was carrying 67 people, including 62 passengers and five crew members.
In the aftermath of the crash, 27 people were hospitalized. Among them, 15 are citizens of Azerbaijan, eight are from Russia, and three are from Kyrgyzstan. The identity of one individual remains unknown.
The crash claimed the lives of both pilots and a flight attendant. Two other crew members survived.
On December 26, 14 injured people and the bodies of four victims were brought to Azerbaijan.
