Putin apologizes for Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash

Putin, during a telephone conversation with Aliyev, which took place at the initiative of the Russian side, “apologized for the fact that the tragic incident occurred in Russian airspace,” according to a statement on the Kremlin website.

“The Azerbaijani passenger plane, which was strictly on schedule, repeatedly tried to land at Grozny airport. At that time, Grozny, Mozdok and Vladikavkaz attacked Ukrainian combat unmanned aerial vehicles, and Russian air defense systems repelled these attacks,” it states there.

The Investigative Committee of Russia opened a case under an article on violation of the rules of traffic safety and operation of air transport (Article 263 of the Criminal Code), employees of the department, as well as a representative of the general prosecutor’s offices of Russia and Azerbaijan. We are jointly studying the circumstances of what happened in Grozny, the Kremlin stressed.

A Kazakhstan Airlines plane flying from Baku to Grozny crashed near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan on December 25. According to the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Kazakhstan, a total of 67 people were on board, including 5 crew members. 38 people died.

Azerbaijan Airlines said that, according to preliminary data, the probable cause of the Embraer plane crash was “external physical and technical influence.” The head of the Federal Air Transport Agency, Dmitry Yadrov, previously confirmed that there was a “difficult situation” in the area of ​​Grozny airport, where the plane was due to land, due to a “terrorist attack by Ukrainian drones.”

White House National Security Council Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby said the United States saw “initial indications” that a passenger plane flying from Baku to Grozny crashed due to air defenses. He did not specify what signs he was referring to.

The press secretary of the Russian president, Dmitry Peskov, commenting on Kerby’s statement, asked to wait for the results of the investigation.