EDITORIAL - Another Russian atrocity?

Christmas Day this year was marred by a tragedy after 38 people died after an Azerbaijan Airlines plane crashed in Kazakhstan.

Investigation into what caused the crash of Azerbaijan Airlines flight J2-8243 is ongoing. However, several sources have come forward to say that it was very likely that the plane was downed by a Russian air defense system designed to protect against drones launched from Ukraine.

Of course, we are willing to give Russia the benefit of the doubt as the investigation is still ongoing, and a probe into something as complicated as an airplane crash usually takes a long time and involves many factors. It might even prove that something else entirely caused the crash.

But let’s say the worst-case scenario is correct and that Russia is responsible for downing this aircraft, that would make it the second commercial airplane they have shot down from the sky. That would make it the second time they have killed innocent people in their war against Ukraine.

Remember Malaysia Airlines flight MH17? We actually wrote about it last July during its 10th anniversary. In case you already forgot it was the plane that was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur in July 2014 when it was shot down by a Soviet-era Buk surface-to-air rocket that was launched from territory in eastern Ukraine controlled by pro-Russian rebels.

Those responsible for that crime have never been brought to justice, and now we have another incident. But again, this if no other cause for the crash can eventually be proven or substantiated.

However, if indeed this is the case, now the question is what can be done to bring those responsible to justice? Is the rest of the world just going to stand idly by while Russia downs yet another civilian airplane and kills more innocent people in its war against another nation?

Like we said in our editorial regarding flight MH17, we don’t know what it will take to bring justice to this incident. Those responsible are just too slippery to pin down and prosecute, let alone punish. In some ways we can say we do hope that something else downed flight J2-8243, otherwise this will mean even more injustice for innocent lives lost.