Azerbaijani Ambassador provokes criticism over statement about downed Russian military helicopter

Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to Russia, Polad Bulbuloglu, has provoked criticism from his own country’s Foreign Affairs Ministry over a statement he made about the Russian military helicopter shot down in Armenia.

On November 11, Bulbuloglu stated that “this was a tragic accident,” adding: “You know, as they say, at war as at war, anything can happen.”

Azerbaijani Presidential Aide Hikmat Hajiyev described the statement as “inappropriate” and called on diplomats to “refrain from arbitrary statements that contradict the country’s official position.”

In turn, Russia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said, “If Russia were to profess the principle ‘at war as at war,’ then the response would have been devastating.”

• On November 9, a Russian Mil Mi-24 helicopter was shot down in the Armenian village of Yeraskh, near the border with Azerbaijan. The plane went down about 60 miles from the conflict zone in the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.Two people died in the crash and a third person was injured. The Azerbaijani government claimed responsibility for the incident immediately and apologized for the “tragic mistake,” promising to pay compensation.
• Reportedly, Russia’s investigative committee has launched a case over the incident on criminal charges of violating flight rules, resulting in the death of a person by negligence. The investigation is being conducted by state investigators based at Russia’s 102nd Military Base in Gyumri, Armenia.