Baku: Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev has expressed indignation over the handling of a plane crash incident by Russian state agencies. During a meeting with the families of the crew who perished and the surviving flight attendants, he stated, "The cover-up of this incident by Russian state agencies and the focus on absurd theories causes surprise, regret, and rightful indignation," APA reports.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, President Aliyev highlighted the actions taken by Azerbaijan's Prosecutor's Office, which dispatched working groups to Grozny and Aktau for operational work. He referred to preliminary findings and assured that the Azerbaijani public would be informed once the investigation concludes. Aliyev pointed out the "Kovyor operation" in Grozny, which refers to closing the airspace after the plane was allegedly shot at from the ground, indicating serious criminal issues. He questioned why the airspace was not closed immediately and why the crew was not warned, citing a similar incident that occurred ten days prior when an AZAL plane was turned back near Grozny.

The President emphasized the truthfulness of the information they have, reiterating his criticism of Russian agencies for covering up the incident and focusing on baseless theories. He noted that the crash resulted in the deaths of innocent people, with the survival of about 30 individuals attributed to the heroism of the pilots and crew. Most of the deceased were Azerbaijani citizens, with casualties also reported among Russian and Kazakhstani citizens, and injuries among Kyrgyzstani citizens.