Putin Apologizes for Azerbaijan Airlines Crash, Investigation Ongoing
Russian President Vladimir Putin apologized to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev for the crash of a civilian airliner that killed 38 people, but stopped short of admitting responsibility, the Kremlin reported on Saturday. Putin expressed regret for the tragic incident occurring in Russian airspace, but did not clarify whether the plane was hit by Russian air defenses.
The flight, operated by Azerbaijan Airlines, had made multiple unsuccessful attempts to land at Grozny airport, which was reportedly under attack by Ukrainian combat drones at the time. Russian air defense systems repelled the drone attacks, but Putin did not indicate if these defenses might have been involved in the crash. An investigation is underway, with both civilian and military experts being interrogated.
The crash occurred near Aktau in Kazakhstan on Christmas Day, when the Embraer 190, which had 67 people on board, crash-landed, resulting in 38 fatalities. Aliyev’s office reported that the Azerbaijan president informed Putin about evidence suggesting “external physical and technical interference.” Aliyev mentioned multiple holes in the fuselage of the plane, injuries sustained by passengers and crew due to foreign particles entering the cabin mid-flight, and testimonies from survivors who reported hearing explosions before the plane went down.
Two U.S. military officials told NBC News that the plane might have been struck by Russian missiles, possibly because Russian forces misidentified the airliner as a drone due to its irregular flight pattern. According to their intelligence, the Russian military believed the plane was a drone and shot it down.
The Azerbaijan Airlines carrier confirmed on Friday that the plane experienced “physical and technical external interference” while en route from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny. Russian authorities, however, have cautioned against premature conclusions. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov emphasized on Saturday that Russia is awaiting the results of the investigation before making further statements.
The Russian aviation ministry, Rosaviatsia, acknowledged that the situation surrounding Grozny’s airport was complicated, with Ukrainian drones nearby and dense fog limiting visibility to just 1,600 feet. The pilot ultimately chose to divert after failing to land twice at Grozny.
The investigation continues as authorities work to determine the exact cause of the crash, while political tensions around the incident remain high.
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