Russian President Vladimir Putin has apologised to Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev for the downing of a commercial airliner in Russian airspace, which resulted in the deaths of 38 people. However, Putin stopped short of acknowledging Russia’s responsibility for the incident.
In his first comments on the Christmas Day crash, Putin described the incident as a “tragic event” that occurred while Russian air defence systems were responding to Ukrainian drone strikes. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of spreading disinformation about the incident, calling for clear explanations.
The plane, operated by Azerbaijan Airlines, was attempting to land in Chechnya when it came under fire from Russian air defence systems. It diverted across the Caspian Sea before crash-landing in Kazakhstan. Survivors reported hearing loud bangs before the crash, suggesting the plane was targeted.
Azerbaijan’s transport minister stated that the plane was subject to “external interference” and sustained damage while trying to land. US defence officials believe Russia was responsible for the downing.
Putin’s apology was conveyed during a phone call with President Aliyev, in which he expressed condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to the injured. However, the Kremlin’s statement did not directly admit Russia’s involvement in the incident.
Both Russia and Azerbaijan have launched investigations into the crash, with Azeri, Kazakh, and Russian agencies working together at the disaster site.
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