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Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev blamed Russia on Sunday for the plane crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger jet last week. He called on Moscow to accept responsibility and offer compensation to the victims.

Aliyev made the comments in an interview with Azerbaijan’s national broadcaster, a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin apologized but without accepting responsibility for the plane crash. 

Mr. Aliyev’s comments on Sunday was a clear rebuke to Putin’s vague apology.  

“We can clearly say today that the plane was shot down by Russia,” Mr. Aliyev said in the interview, according to The New York Times. “First, the Russian side must apologize to Azerbaijan. Second, it must acknowledge its guilt. Third, those responsible must be punished.”

This was a direct reply to the Kremlin’s statement on Saturday: “Vladimir Putin apologized for the tragic incident that occurred in Russian airspace and once again expressed his deep and sincere condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to the injured.”

The plane crashed in western Kazakhstan resulting in 38 people being killed, while 29 people survived, according to reports. It had traveled from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny in southern Russia on Wednesday. But it was diverted from its path after encountering interference, according to Azerbaijan’s government. It then flew across the Caspian Sea before attempting a landing and crashing at an airport near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan.

Russia said that their air defenses had begun to repulse an attack by Ukrainian drones on the airport there as the plane approached Grozny.

Aliyev said in the interview that the airliner was hit by accident, but he was critical of Russia’s response, which initially blamed the crash on fog or birds, according to The Times. 

“Unfortunately, for the first three days, we heard nothing from Russia except for some absurd theories,” Mr. Aliyev said.