Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued an apology to Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev regarding a commercial airliner crash that claimed 38 lives. However, he did not explicitly acknowledge Russian responsibility for the incident.
The Azerbaijan Airlines aircraft, carrying 67 passengers, crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, on December 25 after encountering difficulties in Russian airspace. The flight, designated J2-8243, had departed from Baku, Azerbaijan, heading for Grozny, Chechnya, when it was forced to divert across the Caspian Sea.
In his first public statement about the Christmas Day incident, Putin described it as a “tragic incident” that occurred while Russian air defense systems were countering Ukrainian drone attacks. According to the Kremlin’s statement, Putin noted that Grozny, Mozdok, and Vladikavkaz were under attack from Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles at the time.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky responded by calling Russia to “stop spreading disinformation” about the strike. He emphasized that the aircraft’s fuselage damage strongly suggested an air defense missile strike and called for a comprehensive investigation into “what happened.”
Most passengers were Azerbaijani nationals, with others from Russia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. Reports indicate that most survivors were seated in the rear of the aircraft.
Aviation experts from Azerbaijan believe the plane’s GPS systems were affected by electronic jamming before being damaged by shrapnel from Russian air defense missile explosions. Survivor accounts mentioned hearing loud bangs before the crash, suggesting the aircraft had been targeted.
While Azerbaijan’s transport minister stated the plane experienced “external interference” and sustained damage while attempting to land, the country has not directly accused Russia. However, U.S. defense officials said on Friday they believed Russia was responsible for downing the aircraft.
Before Putin’s statement, the Kremlin had declined to comment on potential involvement, citing pending investigation results. Russian aviation authorities had earlier acknowledged the “very complicated” situation in the region due to Ukrainian drone activity.
The Kremlin has announced that Russian investigators have initiated a criminal investigation, while Azerbaijan has launched its inquiry. Russian, Azerbaijani, and Kazakh agencies reportedly work together at the crash site in Kazakhstan’s Aktau region.
Several Azerbaijani airlines have suspended flights to most Russian cities pending the investigation’s completion, a decision made even before Putin’s public statement was released.
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