Russian President Vladimir Putin apologises for Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash but doesn't claim responsibility
Russian President Vladimir Putin has apologised to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev for a "tragic incident" involving the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane in Kazakhstan, resulting in 38 deaths.
The aircraft, en route from Baku to Grozny, diverted towards Kazakhstan and crashed while attempting to land. Survivors reported hearing loud noises before the crash.
The Kremlin acknowledged that Russian air defence systems were active near Grozny at the time due to a Ukrainian drone strike but did not confirm whether these defences were responsible for the crash. Putin expressed his condolences, stating, "Vladimir Putin apologised for the tragic incident that occurred in Russian airspace."
This incident comes 10 years after the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, where a passenger jet was shot down over eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 people on board. Investigations concluded that a Russian-made surface-to-air missile was responsible, though Russia has consistently denied involvement.