Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued an apology to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev following a tragic airliner crash in Kazakhstan that claimed the lives of 38 people. Putin expressed sorrow for the incident, but did not admit that Moscow was directly responsible. The apology comes amid mounting allegations that the plane may have been shot down by Russian air defenses, which were reportedly trying to intercept a Ukrainian drone strike near the Russian city of Grozny.
Kremlin officials confirmed that Russian air defense systems had been active near Grozny as the Azerbaijani airliner attempted to land. However, the statement refrained from explicitly stating that one of these systems had hit the plane. Putin’s message of regret was centered on the fact that the crash occurred in Russian airspace, and he assured that a criminal investigation had been launched. Azerbaijani prosecutors were sent to Grozny to assist in the inquiry, and officials from Russia, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan are all involved in investigating the crash site in Kazakhstan.
Putin Apologizes to Aliyev as Crash Allegations Link Russian Air Defenses to Azerbaijani Plane Tragedy
The ill-fated flight was traveling from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny when it unexpectedly veered off course toward Kazakhstan and crashed near Aktau while attempting a landing. Of the 38 people onboard, 29 survived the crash. While Azerbaijan Airlines has pointed to “external physical and technical interference” as a possible cause, the details remain unclear, and neither country has officially blamed Russia for the incident.
In a call with Putin, President Aliyev suggested that the plane had suffered significant damage, including holes in its fuselage, and that passengers were injured by foreign particles entering the cabin during the flight. Aliyev also revealed that an international team of experts had begun investigating the incident. The Azerbaijani prosecutors in Grozny are working alongside Russian authorities to uncover the truth behind the crash, as part of a joint investigation.
Theories about the cause of the crash are emerging, with officials from both the U.S. and Azerbaijan speculating that the crash was caused by an external weapon, possibly linked to Russian air defense systems. Eyewitnesses and survivors reported hearing loud noises during the flight as the plane circled Grozny, adding to suspicions that the aircraft may have been hit. If it is confirmed that Russian fire brought the plane down, it would be the second major aviation tragedy tied to the war in Ukraine, echoing the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 in 2014.
