Zelensky Accuses Russia of Targeting Energy Infrastructure in attempt to “Sow Chaos”
KYIV,Ukraine – Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia on Thursday of deliberately targeting the country’s energy infrastructure in an effort to destabilize the nation and ”sow chaos,” as investigations continue into the downing of an Azerbaijani airlines plane in Kazakhstan earlier this year. The accusations follow a series of recent Russian strikes against Ukrainian energy facilities, leaving hundreds of thousands without power during the winter months.
The downing of the Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 on February 4,which killed all 72 people on board,is now under renewed scrutiny. azerbaijani investigators believe a Russian Pantsir-S1 air defense system damaged the plane before it crashed, with a fragment of a Pantsir-S missile found inside the fuselage, according to reports from the New York Times and Reuters. Russian President Vladimir Putin offered a delayed response,citing a lack of initial details and promising compensation to Azerbaijan and an investigation into those responsible. He stated he had only learned the causes of the disaster the day before a meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.
The incident has strained relations between Russia and Azerbaijan, leading to reciprocal arrests – of Russian citizens in Azerbaijan and members of the Azerbaijani diaspora in Russia – and the closure of a Russian state media outlet in Azerbaijan. This follows the June killing of two Azerbaijani nationals in Yekaterinburg,further escalating tensions.
The Azerbaijani plane crash bears a chilling resemblance to the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, a Boeing 777 shot down by a surface-to-air missile over Ukraine in 2014, killing 298 people.
