Reuters: Azerbaijan has evidence that Russia shot down its passenger plane

An Azerbaijani commercial plane that crashed on Dec.25 was  struck by a Russian missile launched from a Pantsir-S air-defense system. Baku has gathered evidence that confirms Russia’s responsibility for the tragedy, Reuters reports, citing sources within the Azerbaijani government.

“The Azerbaijani side possesses a fragment of a Pantsir-S missile which was extracted from the aircraft and identified through international expertise,” the source said.

Thirty-eight people perished in the ensuing crash. The plane, en route from Baku to the Chechen capital of Grozny, was shot down near Aktau, Kazakhstan.

Following the disaster, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stated that the plane had been shot down from the ground and called on Russia to admit responsibility and issue an apology to Azerbaijan.

On Feb. 2, 40 days after the tragedy, the Ukrainian Congress of Azerbaijan held a memorial for the victims.

“We remember them with heavy hearts, offering our sincere respect and eternal remembrance. May their souls rest in peace, and may their families find the strength to cope with this loss,” the organization wrote.

In a gesture of deep respect, the Ukrainian Congress of Azerbaijan laid flowers at the burial site of the victims.

The Ukrainian World Congress has condemned Russia’s latest atrocity. We express our solidarity with the Azerbaijani people and request that the government of Azerbaijan reassess its relations with Russia.