Russia Denies Responsibility For AZAL Plane Crash Amid Smear Campaign Against Azerbaijan

(MENAFN- AzerNews) By Fateh Karimzade | AzerNEWS

The freshest details regarding the crash of an Embraer 190 aircraft belonging to Azerbaijan's AZAL company near the city of Aktau, Kazakhstan, have been revealed. Thus, sources say that the aircraft was shot down by a Pantsir S-1 air defence system transferred to Russia from Syria, and electronic warfare (EW) tactics allegedly disrupted the plane's control system, contributing to the tragedy. Investigations now confirm once again that the Russian missile deliberately shot down the plane and the details state that, although Russia is directly responsible for the downing of the aircraft, it does not want to take responsibility.

On the contrary, in response to Azerbaijan's justified demands regarding the shooting down of the AZAL plane, the Russian media were given a“dog command” by the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation.

It is known that a smear campaign against Azerbaijan has begun with the cheap and primitive methods of Russian propaganda, during which the Russian side, through channels under its control, draws a parallel between the shooting down of a Russian helicopter in November 2020 and the shooting down of a passenger plane belonging to AZAL. However, during the accidental downing of a Russian helicopter in 2020 and the deaths of Russian peacekeepers in Garabagh, Azerbaijan publicly apologized and addressed the consequences, for which Azerbaijan, in fact, was not supposed to do so.

Russia, which wants to compare these events, forgets that at that time Azerbaijan could have also addressed a number of questions to Russia:

• The Trilateral Statement of the leaders of Azerbaijan, Russia and Armenia was signed on the night of November 9-10, 2020. A Russian helicopter was shot down on November 9 at 18:30 in the Nakhchivan section of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. The question is: what was that helicopter doing in that area?
• How can the Russian side explain the fact that a Russian military helicopter flew very close to the Armenian-Azerbaijani state border, that the flight was carried out in the dark, at low altitude, in a zone outside the radar surveillance of the air defense system, and that it was accompanying an Armenian military column when Russian peacekeepers had not yet been deployed in Garabagh and active military fighting was ongoing?

Does Russia hold a grudge against Azerbaijan?

But even though the unidentified helicopter approaching the border before the end of hostilities was a legitimate target, Azerbaijan did not play a game of words to avoid confrontation. As a sign of respect for the principles of neighborliness, President Ilham Aliyev called his Russian counterpart and apologized, the helicopter was fully reimbursed, and the families of the fallen servicemen were compensated.

The next part of the campaign launched against Azerbaijan is related to the death of Russian peacekeepers in Garabagh during the 2023 anti-terrorist operation. Recently, the Russian side has again brought up this topic, with various Russian and Armenian channels broadcasting photos from the scene of the incident, and accusations being made against the Azerbaijani side.

Unfortunately, the Russian side once again forgot that when the anti-terrorist operation was launched, the Azerbaijan Army had warned the peacekeepers in advance and instructed them not to be seen, not to leave their hiding places, and to sit quietly in the barracks during the operation. However, for an unknown reason, several servicemen drove into the combat zone in their own vehicles, and the Azerbaijani servicemen, mistaking them for Armenian servicemen, destroyed them together with their vehicles.

Although Russia was the victim of its own blunder, Azerbaijan once again did not allow confrontation, an apology was issued at the presidential level, a criminal case was opened, and the incident was properly analyzed.

Mutual respect can help prevent toxic work

Now Azerbaijan expects the same approach and the same courage from Russia. Instead, a smear campaign has been launched against the country for its just demand.

Azerbaijan expects its conditions to be fulfilled - confession, apology, compensation, and punishment of the guilty. If Russia continues its unfriendly steps, then Moscow should forget about any friendly atmosphere in mutual relations. As the saying goes, Give Respect, Take Respect.

Russia has obviously lost almost all friends and partners leaving itself destitute, and in such a situation, it is on the verge of losing a friendly neighbour like Azerbaijan. We would advise the Russian media and those who instruct them from the Kremlin not to further degrade the Kremlin's already worsened image among the public.

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