Ukraine to help establish truth about Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash – Zelensky

Ukraine will provide all necessary assistance to establish the full truth about the crash of the Azerbaijan Airlines plane.

This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelensky in his evening video address, Ukrinform reports.

“I have no doubt that the full truth about the crash of the Azerbaijan Airlines plane can be established and that Russia will not succeed in concealing anything. Now there are already partners involved, who can be trusted, first of all, by Azerbaijan itself. Ukraine will provide all the necessary assistance,” Zelensky emphasized.

He called on the international community to support Azerbaijan in this situation and to pressure Russia to stop spreading lies about the crash — similar to the lies surrounding MH-17, the Malaysian Boeing shot down over Donetsk.

During a conversation with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Zelensky praised the heroism of the crew, who managed to steer the plane onto Kazakhstan territory and save 29 lives.

“But tragically, there were many fatalities, and for all this, the accountability must be borne – the accountability of those who hit the plane, and those in Russia who made all this possible: that the plane was targeted,” the President stressed.

Zelensky received an intelligence report on the incident and available data instructing officials to share all the facts with international partners.

Read also: Zelensky expresses condolences to Aliyev over Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash

As reported by Ukrinform, on December 25, a passenger plane of Azerbaijan Airlines crashed in western Kazakhstan while en route from Baku to Grozny, Russia. The plane deviated hundreds of kilometers off course over the Caspian Sea before crashing on the opposite shore. The nearest Russian airport along its route was reportedly closed.

There were 67 people on board; 38 of them perished.

The White House has stated that there is evidence the Azerbaijan Airlines plane was shot down by a Russian air defense system.

According to Ukrainian intelligence, the plane was downed by a Russian Pantsir-S1 air defense system.