The National Resistance Center (NRC) has obtained a letter from Turpal Ilyasov, the representative of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov in Russia's Ural Federal District, containing instructions on how to comment on the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane in Kazakhstan.

Russia has published a festive video of Santa Claus becoming a victim of Russian air defence against the backdrop of the tragic crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane in Grozny, with growing evidence pointing to Russian air defence as the cause.

"We can clearly say today that the plane was shot down by Russia," President Ilham Aliyev said in a televised statement

Azerbaijan demands compensation from Russia after a passenger plane crash, citing external damage and a mistaken shootdown.

Ilham Aliyev accused Russia of trying to “hush up” the issue for several days, saying he was “upset and surprised” by versions of events put forward by Russian officials.

The probe into the Azerbaijan Airlines crash in Kazakhstan is examining the conduct of air traffic controllers after the aircraft encountered difficulty, a source said.

Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev has accused Russia of accidentally shooting down an airliner on Christmas Day in a disaster that killed 38 people, and covering up the cause.