Latest news with #Minval
OC Media
an hour ago
- Politics
- OC Media
Thursday, 3 July 2025
Regional * The Azerbaijani media outlet Minval has released an audio recording purporting to show a Russian officer saying he had been ordered to fire at an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger jet December 2024. The outlet also released what it said was a written statement from the same officer. The jet, which was flying from Baku to Grozny, crash-landed in Kazakhstan, killing 38 people. Azerbaijan has accused Russia of shooting at the plane with air defence systems and causing the crash. Armenia
Novaya Gazeta Europe
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Novaya Gazeta Europe
Leaked note shows Russian military captain admit to ordering missile strike on Azerbaijan Airlines flight — Novaya Gazeta Europe
A leaked note allegedly written by a Russian military captain, in which he takes responsibility for transmitting the final order to shoot down a passenger jet that crashed in Kazakhstan last December, has been made public after Minval, an Azerbaijani media outlet, published the letter on Tuesday. On 25 December, Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243, carrying 67 people on board, was on a scheduled flight from Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, to Grozny in the North Caucasus when a Russian surface-to-air missile reportedly struck it. It was denied permission to land in Russia and diverted to Kazakhstan, where the flight later crashed, killing 38 people on board, including both pilots and a flight attendant. In the note, which Minval obtained from an anonymous source, Russian captain Dmitry Paladichuk states that on the morning of 25 December, he spotted a 'potential target' that was difficult to discern due to 'very thick fog' amid a Ukrainian drone attack on Grozny. He says he alerted his superior officers and transmitted the object's coordinates and speed, before receiving the command to destroy the target. He says he then ordered an operator to fire two air defence missiles, shrapnel from the second of which reportedly struck the aircraft. According to The Insider, a Russian investigative outlet that obtained a recording of a telephone conversation in which Paladichuk appears to confirm writing an explanatory note, the letter is most likely genuine. In the recording, Paladichuk asserts that he wrote the note to an 'army commander' after 'shooting at the plane' because 'they demanded it' and confirms distinctive features of his handwriting. The Insider also states that Paladichuk's voice in the recording matches audio evidence originally published alongside the letter by Minval, which further supports the authenticity of the document. On 28 December, three days after the crash, Vladimir Putin apologised for what he called a 'tragic incident' after an aircraft experienced 'external interference' over Russian airspace. However, he did not confirm that the flight had been shot down or admit responsibility. One day later, Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev accused Russia of accidentally shooting down Flight 823 and demanded a full admission of guilt. In February, a preliminary Azerbaijani investigation found that 'foreign metal objects' had damaged the plane before it crashed. According to a senior Azerbaijani government official cited in reporting by Reuters, the 'object' in question referred to a Russian air defence missile. The publishing of Paladichuk's letter comes amid a rapid deterioration in Russian-Azerbaijani relations following the deaths of two Azerbaijani citizens during a police raid in the Russian Urals city of Yekaterinburg on Saturday under unclear circumstances.
OC Media
20 hours ago
- Politics
- OC Media
Azerbaijani media releases ‘evidence' of Russia shooting down AZAL plane amidst rising tensions
Sign in or or Become a member to unlock the audio version of this article Join the voices Aliyev wants to silence. For over eight years, OC Media has worked with fearless journalists from Azerbaijan — some of whom now face decades behind bars — to bring you the stories the regime is afraid will get out. Help us fuel Aliyev's fears — become an OC Media member today Become a member On Tuesday, the pro-government Azerbaijani media outlet Minval released purported recordings of Russian officer Dmitry Paliduchuk receiving orders to open fire on the Azerbaijan Airlines passenger jet that crashed in Kazakhstan in December 2024, killing 38 people. The alleged audio recordings, which were accompanied with a handwritten letter supposedly from Paliduchuk, were the clearest piece of evidence made public so far to corroborate Baku's claims that Russia was responsible for the deadly crash. Minval acknowledged it could not corroborate the authenticity of the material, but the Russian independent media outlet The Insider said it appeared to be authentic. Separately, the Azerbaijani Prosecutor General's office said that a criminal case had been opened in connection to the crash, and that the results of ongoing investigations should be revealed 'soon'. Baku has previously taken issue with the long delays from the Russian side regarding the investigation, as well as the preliminary findings not being relayed, which some in Azerbaijani media have said is a sign of disrespect. Arrests, accusations, and increasingly harsh criticism The release of the audio recordings came amidst a sharp deterioration in relations between Azerbaijan and Russia in recent days, spurred on by a mass police raid in Russia's Yekaterinburg that resulted in the deaths of two ethnic Azerbaijanis and the arrest of around 50 others. Baku has said that brothers Ziyaddin and Huseyn Safarov were beaten to death with 'extreme cruelty' by Russian law enforcement officers, backing up its allegations with reports from a medical examiner. In contrast, Russia has claimed that the Safarov brothers died of natural causes. Advertisement Tensions quickly escalated in the following days, with Azerbaijan issuing a formal complaint to Russia, cancelling all Russia-related cultural events, and arresting a number of Russian journalists accused of espionage. On Tuesday, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev held a phone call with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyi, where the two leaders discussed the deaths of the Safarov brothers, among other issues. I spoke with President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev @presidentaz and thanked him for his support of Ukraine, our people, and our territorial integrity. I also expressed Ukraine's clear support in the situation where Russia is brutalizing Azerbaijani citizens and threatening the… — Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 1, 2025 Others, including Peter Michalko, the EU's ambassador to Azerbaijan, also weighed in on the issue. I am deeply concerned by the reports of violence, torture and inhuman treatment against ethnic Azerbaijanis in Russia, leading even to deaths, committed by Russian security forces. My thoughts are with the victims and their families. — Peter Michalko (@MichalkoPeter) June 30, 2025 In addition, also on Tuesday, Azerbaijani authorities said a group of Russian nationals had been arrested in the country on suspicion of drug trafficking and committing cyber crimes. Later in the day, Azerbaijan released photos of the detainees, many of whom showed visible signs of injuries, as well as footage of the heavily armed and masked police officers who carried out the raid. Popular Russian journalists and social media accounts quickly criticised the photos, with some calling it a 'dehumanising shitshow' and others claiming they were just random Russians — not criminals — who were arrested in Baku in order to stage a public 'humiliation' spectacle. After Russian criticism of the series of events perceived in Moscow as anti-Russian, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry released a statement calling on the Kremlin not to interfere in its domestic affairs. Other signs of a more systematic backlash against Russia in Azerbaijan also appeared, as unverified reports surfaced claiming that Russian-language schools would soon be shut down in the country. Later on Wednesday, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry officially summoned Russian Ambassador Mikhail Yevdokimov. Russia responds There was also a corresponding reaction in Russia, with more arrests of ethnic Azerbaijanis, including high-profile members of the diaspora. While the Russian government did not explicitly state the new wave of arrests was connected to the ongoing tensions, it was quickly viewed as a form of retaliation. And now Russian security forces are retaliating by detaining leading Azeri businessmen resident in Russia. — Yaroslav Trofimov (@yarotrof) July 1, 2025 At the same time, Russian propagandists expressed outrage at Baku's actions and urged an appropriate response. Television host Sergei Mardan wrote on his Telegram channel that 'Baku has always been a Russian city' in a message containing racist comments about Azerbaijanis. 'It's high time to think about the safety of navigation and oil extraction in the Caspian Sea', Mardan added. Vladimir Solovyov, one of the most well-known Russian propagandists, also appeared to threaten Azerbaijan on his television show. Amid rising tensions between Russia and Azerbaijan, Russian propagandist Solovyov, as he usually does, has begun threatening Azerbaijan. Relations between the two countries are rapidly deteriorating following ethnic raids in Russia and reciprocal detentions of Russians in… — WarTranslated (@wartranslated) July 2, 2025 Official representatives, such as Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova, took a slightly different approach, saying on Tuesday that 'friendly relations between our two nations are very important', but added that 'those who are seeking to disrupt them should think twice before acting'. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Russia would 'protect the legitimate interests of our citizens through diplomacy', and also sought to blame outside forces. Apparently referring to Zelenskyi's call with Aliyev, Peskov claimed that 'Ukraine will do everything possible to add fuel to the fire of this situation and provoke the Azerbaijani side into taking emotional action'. 'This is easy to predict. Russia has never threatened and does not threaten Azerbaijan', Peskov added.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
'Audio recording of Russian military suggests Putin's troops shot down Azerbaijan plane on Christmas Day, killing 38 passengers'
The Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed in Kazakhstan on Christmas Day, killing 38, was shot down in an attack authorised by the Russian Ministry of Defence, according to the apparent testimonies of a Russian air defence crew. Flight J2-8243 crash landed just short of Aktau airport on December 25. It was claimed that its navigation systems had been compromised and the plane had been shot down, possibly confused with a Ukrainian projectile by artillery in Chechnya. Azerbaijani outlet Minval reported on Tuesday it had received audio, video and an explanatory note ostensibly signed by a Russian air defence officer, claiming the ministry had cleared the crew to shoot down a 'potential target' in 'very thick fog'. The author claims to have been the head of the crew in Grozny when the plane was shot down. Three audio recordings shared with the outlet reportedly included three voices claiming they had all given the operational command and fired twice at the plane. Footage purported to show the moment the order was given to fire. The clip seen by MailOnline includes a Russian speaker listing coordinates before giving an order to 'Fire! Fire, I say!'. There is a loud explosion and then an admission the attack missed. The camera, focused on two screens inside what appeared to be a mobile artillery system, shook after the instruction and a loud bang could be heard. 'It's on the way...' the audio continues. 'Missed! Repeat. One more time!' MailOnline was unable to verify the authenticity of the files. Mirval said it had received an 'anonymous letter' with the multimedia evidence and what they said was a note signed by a Captain Dmitry Sergeevich Paladichuk. Minval shared video and audio claiming to show 'The moment the Russian Defense Ministry gave the order to destroy the AZAL flight' According to the explanatory note, at 8:11am, 'the target detection station detected a potential target, which I took on precise tracking by the [multiple rocket launcher system], which I reported to the 51st Division Command Post.' Two minutes later, 'I was given the command to destroy the target over the phone'. The target was 'not visible in the optics due to very thick fog, which was reported to the command post'. But within half a minute, 'I gave the command to the operator to destroy'. The first attack missed and 'I gave the command to fire again.' The crew was said to have been commanded to 'switch to readiness' at 5:40am. In the days before, Chechnya had assured its air defences were on standby to shoot down incoming Ukrainian drones. A media report on December 20 noted that four drone strikes had hit Chechnya since October, with 'not a single drone' shot down despite assurances that defences were operational. Sources told Novaya Europe at the time that aircraft defence systems had hitherto never been used during drone attacks on Chechnya. The documents since shared with Minval describe the poor condition of the equipment available to the Chechen forces in Grozny. 'Due to poor mobile reception and a lack of functional wired communication, coordination relied heavily on unstable mobile connections,' it reads. The outlet was unable to verify the authenticity of the letter received, or the author. It said it was in the interests of the ongoing investigation to publish the document. The outlet also did not publish all three audio recordings, as they 'still need to be studied by investigative bodies', it said. The crash has been under investigation for more than six months, after a preliminary report found fragments from a Pantsir-S missile lodged in the plane. Russian President Vladimir Putin did not say that Russia had shot the plane down, but has apologised for the 'tragic incident' inside Russian airspace. A day after the crash, Azerbaijani government officials told Euronews that there had been drone activity above Grozny at the time of the incident. They said that the pilot of the commercial plane, travelling from Baku to Grozny, had been blocked from landing at any Russian airports despite emergency pleas. The pilots asked for help from several different airports in Russia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, the officials said. But the plane was barred from landing in Grozny, with the official reason given as 'fog'. Ordered to carry on towards Kazakhstan, Flight J2-8243 crossed the Caspian Sea towards Aktau before crashing. It ultimately came down just a few miles from Aktau, and data shows its radars were jammed as it crossed over the sea. A source familiar with the Azerbaijani investigation told Reuters that while 'no one claims that it was done on purpose', Baku 'expects the Russian side to confess to the shooting down of the Azerbaijani aircraft'. Most of the passengers on board were Azerbaijani. Sixteen were from Russia, and several from Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Russia had tried to play down speculation the flight had been shot down by a Russian missile, urging patience while the investigation is carried out. The two countries have enjoyed bilateral ties, with Azerbaijan becoming an essential partner for trade and acting as a corridor to Iran amid the war in Ukraine. But diplomatic relations have reached a new low in recent days, as two Russian state journalists were arrested in Baku and a further around 15 more Russians arrested separately on suspicion of drug trafficking and cybercrime. The arrests followed Russian police raids against ethnic Azerbaijanis living in Russia suspected of involvement in serious crimes in which two men died. The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that certain forces were trying to wreck Moscow's ties with Azerbaijan and that they should think hard about what they were doing, the state RIA news agency reported.
Saudi Gazette
a day ago
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
New evidence suggests Russian forces shot down Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243
BAKU — Russian military forces were involved in the missile strike on Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 which crashed on 25 December 2024, a new audio recording and a letter published by an Azerbaijani news website on Tuesday purport to prove. Azerbaijani news outlet Minval claims it received an 'anonymous letter ... containing testimonies, audio clips, and technical details' pointing to 'technical deficiencies in the communications equipment used at the time. Minval claims the letter includes a written statement 'allegedly signed by Captain Dmitry Sergeyevich Paladichuk, a Russian air defence officer (who) was acting under direct orders from Russia's Ministry of Defence when he authorised the missile strike.' Euronews cannot independently verify the authenticity of the claims in the Azerbaijani news outlet's report. Minval's news report on Tuesday quoted the letter claiming that 'Captain Paladichuk was stationed near Grozny on duty from 24 to 25 December. At 05:40 on the day of the incident, his unit was ordered to enter full combat readiness." "Due to poor mobile reception and a lack of functional wired communication, coordination relied heavily on unstable mobile connections," the letter added. "A potential target was detected at 08:11 and tracked using radar. Two missiles were reportedly fired at the object after Paladichuk was instructed via phone to destroy it — despite heavy fog obscuring optical confirmation.' According to the letter, 'the coordinates, speeds, and directions of the target at the time of both missile launches were provided in detail in the written explanation. The first missile is said to have missed, while the second one allegedly detonated close enough for shrapnel to strike the aircraft.' Minval also claimed that it reviewed "three voice messages" believed to support the claims made in the letter. The voices reportedly confirm that operational orders were given, two missiles were fired, and shrapnel from the explosion struck the aircraft, according to the outlet. The outlet has released one audio recording purporting to depict the sequence in which a voice in Russian gives military directions, orders a missile to be fired, followed by the sound of what appears to be a firing sequence, the same voice saying 'target missed', and allegedly ordering another missile to be fired. On the day of the tragedy, Azerbaijani government sources told Euronews that a Russian surface-to-air missile was fired at Flight 8243 during drone air activity above Grozny, the flight's destination. The same sources said that the shrapnel hit the passengers and cabin crew as the missile exploded next to the aircraft mid-flight, disabling it. The damaged aircraft was not allowed to land at any Russian airports despite the pilots' requests for an emergency landing, the same sources said, and it was ordered to fly across the Caspian Sea towards Aktau in Kazakhstan, where it crashed while attempting an emergency landing, killing 38 and injuring 29. Subsequent reports after the tragedy claimed that Flight 8243 was downed by a missile from a Russian Pantsir-S1 system. Three days after the crash, in an address to the nation, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said, "we can say with complete clarity that the plane was shot down by Russia (...) We are not saying that it was done intentionally, but it was done.' At that time, on 29 December, Aliyev stated that Baku had made three demands to Russia in connection with the crash. 'First, the Russian side must apologise to Azerbaijan. Second, it must admit its guilt. Third, punish the guilty, bring them to criminal responsibility and pay compensation to the Azerbaijani state, the injured passengers and crew members,' Aliyev outlined. Aliyev noted that the first demand was 'already fulfilled' when Russian President Vladimir Putin apologised to him on 28 December. Putin called the crash a 'tragic incident," though he stopped short of acknowledging Moscow's responsibility. The Kremlin said at the time that air defence systems were firing near Grozny, where the plane attempted to land, to deflect Ukrainian drone strikes. In the days following the tragedy, Russian military bloggers claimed that the said explosion happened over the Naursky District of Chechnya, where several Russian military units were posted at the time, including those with air defence systems, basing their conclusions on open-source data. The new claims linking the Russian military to the Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 tragedy appear at a time of a fast-moving escalation of judicial measures between Russia and Azerbaijan, as relations between the two countries reach a new low. — Euronews
