Zelenskyy had conversation with Aliyev: Russia must stop spreading disinformation about crash of Azerbaijan Airlines plane
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev had a telephone conversation today, December 28.
Zelenskyy said this on Telegram, Censor.NET reports.
"I had a conversation with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and expressed my condolences to him and the Azerbaijani people over the terrible crash of Azerbaijan Airlines flight J2-8243. We noted the heroism of the pilots and the entire crew of the plane," the statement said.
According to Zelenskyy, the key priority now is a thorough investigation that will answer all questions about what really happened.
"Russia must provide clear explanations and stop spreading disinformation. The photos and videos clearly show damage to the fuselage of the aircraft, including holes and dents that look very much like an air defense missile strike. We will support Azerbaijan in this situation with all necessary means and call on other countries to provide assistance as well," he said.
According to Zelenskyy, the parties also agreed to intensify bilateral contacts in the near future.
Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash in Kazakhstan
On December 25, an Embraer plane en route from Baku to Grozny, Russia, crashed near the Kazakh city of Aktau.
38 people died as a result of the crash of the Azerbaijan Airlines plane. According to one version in the media, the plane could have been hit by air defense systems over the territory of the Russian Federation.
According to media reports, a Russian surface-to-air missile caused the crash of the Azerbaijan Airlines plane in Aktau.
Defense Intelligence Chief Kyrylo Budanov said that the Azerbaijan Airlines plane was shot down by a Russian Pantsir-S1 air defense system.
Azerbaijan expects Russia to officially recognize the downing of the passenger plane, Reuters reports.
The spokesman for the Russian dictator Dmitry Peskov refused to comment on information about Russia's involvement in the crash of the Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane in Kazakhstan.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed his condolences to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and the Azerbaijani people over the crash of the Azerbaijan Airlines plane and said that the facts indicate Russia's responsibility for the tragedy.
