Putin Apologizes to Azerbaijan Over Kazakhstan Plane Crash

Russian President Vladimir Putin has extended his apologies to Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev regarding the tragic Kazakhstan plane crash that claimed the lives of 38 people. According to a Kremlin statement, Putin informed Aliyev during a phone conversation that Russian air defense systems were engaged in countering Ukrainian drones when the Azerbaijani Airlines aircraft attempted to land in Grozny.

“During this time, Grozny, (the town of) Mozdok and Vladikavkaz were being attacked by Ukrainian combat drones and Russian air defence was repelling these attacks,” the Kremlin stated, without directly confirming whether Russian air defense was responsible for downing the aircraft.

Putin also offered his apologies to the Azerbaijani leader for the “tragic incident.” The accident occurred when an Azerbaijani Airlines’ aircraft crashed in western Kazakhstan, resulting in multiple casualties.

This incident follows a day of conflicting blame between Russia and Ukraine over the crash. Russia’s civil aviation authority chief, Dmitry Yadrov, claimed that Ukrainian military drones were conducting terrorist attacks on civilian infrastructure at that time, adding that the plane made two unsuccessful landing attempts.

Meanwhile, Ukraine insisted on Russia’s involvement, stating, “Russia must be held responsible for the downing of the Azerbaijan Airlines plane.” Azerbaijan Airlines also revealed on Friday that initial investigations suggested the crash might have been due to “external interference of a physical and technical nature.”

Various news sources previously reported Azerbaijani officials suggesting a Russian air defense missile may have caused the incident, while other reports pointed towards Ukrainian involvement or a simple bird strike accident.

Stay informed about the latest developments on this breaking news story.