Baku, Moscow Clarify Details of Case of Russian Helicopter Shot Down on November 9

Baku/22.01.21 / Turan: Baku sent Moscow a petition for legal assistance in the case of the shot down Russian helicopter Mi-24, the press service of the Prosecutor General's Office of Azerbaijan told RIA Novosti.

"At the moment, intensive investigative and operational measures are underway in this criminal case. Based on the results of the petition, a legal decision will be made on this criminal case," the press service said.

Recall that on November 9, 2020, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces shot down a Mi-24 on the border with Armenia. As a result, two crew members died. Baku admitted that it shot down a Russian helicopter by accident, apologized and expressed its readiness to pay compensation to Russia. The General Prosecutor's Office of Azerbaijan has opened a criminal case under the article "negligent attitude to service."

According to the Azerbaijani side, the helicopter flew at night at a low altitude and at a distance of 150 meters from the Azerbaijani border in the Nakhchivan region. An Azerbaijani serviceman shot down a helicopter with a portable missile system, mistaking it for an Armenian one. The next day, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said that the helicopter flew in close proximity to the border and was not visible on radars.

In turn, the Russian side opened a case under the article on violation of flight rules. This suggests that the Russian military also had some guilt. Later, the Russian side reclassified the article as "premeditated murder" and stated that the investigation was difficult, since the perpetrators were outside the territory of Russia and the corresponding request was sent to Azerbaijan.-02D-