On December 25, 2024, an Azerbaijani passenger plane, the Embraer 190, tragically crashed near the Kazakh city of Aktau, killing 38 of its 67 passengers. The flight had taken off from Baku and was heading to Russia's Grozny. Among the victims were 16 Russian nationals. 🚨🕊️
Following the crash, Azerbaijani authorities conducted an initial investigation and revealed that the plane had been struck by a missile from a Russian air defense system. Although Russian officials initially refrained from commenting, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov later acknowledged the allegations, stating that further investigation was needed. 🧐💥
As the world waited for answers, Russian President Vladimir Putin personally reached out to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to express his deep regret over the incident. In a statement, the Kremlin acknowledged that the plane was mistakenly shot down while defending against Ukrainian drone strikes. Russia’s defense system, in its effort to defend against drone attacks, accidentally targeted the civilian aircraft instead. 🛑⚔️
This unfortunate event has sparked international concern and raised questions about the safety of civil aviation in areas of conflict. Experts are urging better coordination between civilian and military air traffic to avoid similar tragedies in the future. 😞✈️
This incident calls to mind the 2014 tragedy of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, which was also downed by a missile, raising concerns about the transparency and accountability of Russia's air defense systems. 🌍📉
In response to the accident, there have been widespread calls for a full and impartial investigation. The international community is demanding that those responsible for the downing of the plane be identified and held accountable for their actions. 💔🔍
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