As previously rеported, the combat crew that opened fire on an Azerbaijani Airlines (AZAL) passenger plane on December 25, 2024, was led by Dmitry Sergeyevich Paladichuk.

Axar.az reports that Minval Politiko has obtained further information about the incident.

Rеportedly, the order to strike the AZAL EMBRAER 190 flight was given by Major General Aleksandr Vasilyevich Tolopilo, commander of the 51st Air Defense Division of the 4th Guards Army under the Russian Southern Military District’s Air Force and Air Defense. This was confirmed by Colonel-Lieutenant Nikolay Nikolayevich Orlyanski, the operations officer at the division’s command center. Orlyanski stated that he received Tolopilo’s order and relayed the command to Captain Paladichuk to fire on the civilian aircraft.

Rеports indicate that the missile crew operated directly under Tolopilo’s command. This is supported by an official report dated December 16, 2024. Despite his direct involvement, Major General Tolopilo has evaded criminal responsibility. He blamed air traffic controllers and falsely claimed the missiles “self-destructed” and could not have harmed the plane.

His version was refuted by an internal investigation.

Despite his role in the tragedy, Tolopilo was not punished — on the contrary, he was promoted to a higher position.