Zelenskyy to Aliyev: Ukraine to support Azerbaijan in J2-8243 flight crash investigation
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a phone conversation with President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and expressed condolences to him and the people of Azerbaijan regarding the tragic crash of flight J2-8243 of Azerbaijan Airlines.
"We acknowledged the heroism of the pilots and the entire crew of the aircraft. The key priority now is a thorough investigation to provide answers to all questions about what really happened. Russia must provide clear explanations and stop spreading disinformation. Photos and videos clearly show the damage to the aircraft's fuselage, including punctures and dents, which strongly point to a strike by an air defense missile," he said on the X social network Saturday.
Ukraine will support Azerbaijan in this situation with all necessary means and call on other countries to assist as well, the head of state said.
Additionally, the presidents have agreed to intensify bilateral contacts in the near future.
As reported, an Embraer airplane of Azerbaijan Airlines traveling from Baku to Grozny crashed near Aktau (Kazakhstan). According to the carrier, there were 67 people on board, including five crew members. As a result of the accident, 38 people were killed.
The Azerbaijani government claims that a Russian surface-to-air missile caused the crash of the Embraer plane. The missile was fired at the airliner during drone flights over Grozny, its fragments struck passengers and crew members, exploding near the airliner mid-flight. Chief of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry Kyrylo Budanov said the Embraer plane was shot down by a missile of the Russian Pantsir-S1 air defense system.