YUGE Russian media points finger at Turkey, UK for downed helicopter in Nagorno-Karabakh

News reports in the Russian media have said Russian officials do not blame Azerbaijan for the downing of a Mi-24 Russian military helicopter in last month’s clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Instead, they hold responsible Turkey and the United Kingdom, which are perceived to be dissatisfied with the Russian-brokered ceasefire that put an end to the fighting in and around Nagorno-Karabakh.

The Russian helicopter was shot down on Nov. 9 by a portable ground-to-air missile near the Armenian village of Yeraskh, located near the Azeri border. It had taken off from a Russian military base in Armenia. Russia announced that it was downed in Armenian airspace and that two of its crewmembers died while one was critically injured.

A few hours later Azeri President Ilham Aliyev released a statement taking responsibility for the incident, apologizing and announcing that they were prepared to pay compensation. The Kremlin accepted Aliyev’s apology, and the ceasefire talks under Russian guarantee moved forward unobstructed.

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