Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has issued an apology following the tragic crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines flight that occurred after entering Russian airspace in Grozny, Chechnya. The incident resulted in the loss of 38 lives on board the aircraft.
Putin acknowledged that Russia’s air defense systems were active when the plane attempted to land in Grozny but was unable to do so, leading to the aircraft diverting east and eventually crashing near Aktau, Kazakhstan. However, Putin did not explicitly state that Russian air defenses were responsible for the crash.
While the exact cause of the crash remains unconfirmed, early indications suggest that a Russian anti-aircraft system may have been involved, as per a US official's statement. Despite this, Putin’s comments did not confirm any direct involvement of Russian air defenses in the tragedy.
In a phone call with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev, Putin expressed his regret over the incident occurring in Russian airspace and extended his apologies for the tragic outcome. The Kremlin also mentioned that the plane had made multiple attempts to land at the Grozny airport amidst ongoing attacks by Ukrainian combat drones in the region.
Russia’s investigative committee has initiated a criminal case in connection with the disaster, as stated by the Kremlin. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s foreign minister criticized Russian media for allegedly spreading misinformation about the crash and accused Moscow of attempting to conceal evidence by directing the damaged jet to cross the sea.
The situation surrounding the Azerbaijan Airlines flight crash continues to unfold, with investigations ongoing to determine the exact circumstances that led to the tragic incident.
