Azerbaijan demands Russia admit responsibility for fatal plane crash
What's the story
Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev has demanded Russia accept its responsibility for the Christmas Day plane crash which killed 38 people.
The Azerbaijan Airlines flight crashed near Kazakhstan's Aktau after failed attempts to land in Grozny, Chechnya's capital.
"We can clearly say today that the plane was shot down by Russia. This is a fact, and no one can deny this fact," Aliyev said in a state TV interview.
Demands detailed
Azerbaijan's President outlines demands to Russia
In the aftermath of the crash, Aliyev has detailed certain demands to Russian authorities.
"First of all, the Russian side must apologize to Azerbaijan. Secondly, it must acknowledge its guilt," he said.
As a third, he also demanded that the guilty should be criminally charged and compensation should be given to Azerbaijan and the families of the victims.
Apology extended
Putin apologizes for crash, Kremlin denies responsibility
Russian President Vladimir Putin has apologized to Aliyev for the incident in Russian airspace. However, a later statement from the Kremlin clarified Russia wasn't accepting responsibility for the crash.
Aliyev welcomed Putin's apology as a positive step and expressed hope that his remaining demands would be met by Russian authorities.