A passenger plane of Azerbaijan Airlines was likely shot down by Russian air defense over the skies of Grozny and made an emergency landing in Aktau, Kazakhstan. This news has dominated media headlines in recent days. Social media is flooded with comments like: “Let’s wait for the investigation” or “Don’t rush to conclusions.” Formally, these voices are correct. But for us, Russian dissidents, this tragedy is neither an accident nor a coincidence. It is yet another link in a long chain of crimes by a regime built on lies, cruelty, and a cynical disregard for human life.

We saw all of this long before 2022. Before 2014. And even before 2008. The first alarm bell was the tragedy of the Kursk submarine – the same one for which Putin, with a cold smile, answered: “It sank.” It marked the beginning of a regime where human life holds no value.

Remember the attacks on the school in Beslan and the Dubrovka Theater, where most hostages didn’t die at the hands of terrorists but during assaults by Russian special forces? The Beslan Mothers group fought for years for the truth, never obtaining justice for those responsible for their children’s deaths.

Do you still think it’s premature to accuse Russia? I apologize to those who pride themselves on staying calm, but when you live under a regime like Putin’s for years, witnessing his unchecked crimes daily, you cannot help but see it as pure evil. Not because Western propaganda says so, but because Russians see it with their own eyes every single day. The Aktau plane tragedy is just one of many.

Let’s examine the horrifying timeline of recent events. On the day of the disaster, air defense was operating in the skies over Chechnya, shooting down Ukrainian drones. This was openly reported on Telegram channels from the morning. Yet no one – not a single soul – warned civilian pilots. The airspace was not closed. Why? Perhaps because the regime is desperately trying to maintain an illusion of normalcy, pretending the war does not exist.

What happened next seems taken from a horror film. Air defense, presumably by mistake, hit a civilian plane. And then the worst began: the aircraft, with dozens of passengers in distress, was systematically denied landing rights at all nearby airports – Makhachkala, Magas, Beslan, Tbilisi, Mineralnye Vody. Instead, it was directed to Aktau, across the Caspian Sea, 400 kilometers away. Why? The most chilling theory is that they hoped it wouldn’t reach its destination and that the sea would hide all evidence.

Another tragedy, yet the same old story: a crime, lies, attempts to cover up the traces. And no accountability.

This is not “Western propaganda,” as Kremlin defenders like to shout. We Russians know this not from foreign media or second-hand accounts. We have seen it with our own eyes for years. We have witnessed how, before our very eyes, a system of disdain for human life was built – whether Russian, Ukrainian, or of any other nationality. A system where lying became state policy and cruelty a norm of governance.

However, in this tragedy, there are real heroes: Captain Igor Kshnyakin and co-pilot Alexander Kalyanin. With systems almost completely out of order, they managed to cross the Caspian Sea, avoid populated areas, and perform an emergency landing, saving dozens of lives. Twenty-nine passengers survived. But 38 died.

In Azerbaijan, there are now calls for an official apology from Russia and for the incident to be classified as a crime. The outcome of this confrontation remains uncertain. Perhaps two dictators – Putin and Aliyev – will reach an agreement. Or perhaps not. We can only hope that Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan will conduct an independent investigation, free from Russian interference.

When Kremlin trolls call for people to “wait for the investigation,” those of us who have lived under this regime for a quarter of a century already know how it will end: they will never accept the results of an investigation that does not suit them. So, why wait to label as criminal a regime that has been so for 25 years? We Russians know it well, long before today.

This is not just another tragedy. It is a systematic manifestation of a regime built on blood and lies. A system ruthless toward everyone – Russians, Ukrainians, Azerbaijanis, or Kazakhs. For the Kremlin, we are all expendable. And the number of victims will continue to grow as long as this system exists.

This is Putin – and it has always been this way. Do not delude yourselves: he is not a “strong leader.” He is a dictator who cares nothing for people.

What happened in Aktau is not an isolated case. It is a direct consequence of a system that regards human life as worthless. A system where power is exercised through lies, repression, and violence, and where the silence of victims is bought with fear and despair.

But there is another aspect we cannot ignore: the apparent inhumanity of those who execute such cruel orders and cover up such crimes. Those who decide to shoot down a civilian plane, who order the rejection of emergency landing requests, who seek to erase traces of the crime… they are conscious accomplices. Every time someone justifies such actions or calls to “wait for evidence,” they are not just ignoring reality but are contributing to perpetuating a regime that thrives on silence and complicity.

In this tragedy, the real heroes are not in the halls of power but among the pilots who sacrificed their lives to save others. They are among those who have the courage to demand truth and justice. They are among the few who resist, despite everything.