Putin Apologizes to Azerbaijan’s Aliyev Over Tragic Plane Crash in Russian Airspace

MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday issued an apology to Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev following the tragic crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane in Russian airspace. The plane, Flight J2-8243, crashed on Wednesday near Aktau, Kazakhstan, after diverting from southern Russia due to Ukrainian drone attacks. At least 38 people were killed.

The Kremlin confirmed that Putin expressed his deep condolences for the loss of life and wished a speedy recovery to the injured. Russian air defences, which were repelling attacks from Ukrainian drones on cities like Grozny, Mozdok, and Vladikavkaz, mistakenly shot down the plane, according to preliminary findings of Azerbaijan’s investigation.

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Aliyev stated that the plane had been subjected to “external physical and technical interference” in Russian airspace, causing it to lose control and veer off course. The Embraer jet had been en route from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny before changing direction over the Caspian Sea.

The apology came after a phone call initiated by Putin, where he reiterated his condolences and responsibility for the incident.