Interview with Ukrainian expert Oleksandr Musienko

Sources within the Azerbaijani government confirmed exclusively to Euronews on Thursday that the crash of an AZAL plane in Aktau on Wednesday was caused by a Russian surface-to-air missile. According to the sources, the missile was launched at the aircraft, operating flight 8432, during a drone attack on Grozny. The missile exploded near the plane, injuring two passengers and a flight attendant with its shrapnel.

This morning, an AZAL passenger plane, operating the Baku-Grozny flight, crashed. According to AZAL, there were 62 passengers and 5 crew members aboard the crashed passenger plane, a total of 67 people. The passengers on board included 16 citizens of Russia, 37 citizens of Azerbaijan, 6 citizens of Kazakhstan, and 3 citizens of Kyrgyzstan.

The recent arrests, messages to the West from Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in interviews with Russian media, the European Parliament’s resolution on repression against civil society and independent media in Azerbaijan, and calls for sanctions have been discussed by Seymour Hazi, Deputy Chairman of the Azerbaijani Popular Front Party, on the program "A Difficult Question."

In a striking interview with Russian state media, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev criticized a European Parliament resolution condemning the repression of civil society and independent media in Azerbaijan. He also rebuked calls for sanctions, prompting heated reactions both at home and abroad.