'Tragic incident': Putin apologises to Aliyev over Azerbaijan plane crash

MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin has apologized to Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev for the "tragic" crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane in Russian airspace on Wednesday. The incident resulted in 38 fatalities, while 28 passengers survived.

The crash of Flight J2-8243 occurred near the city of Aktau in western Kazakhstan after the plane, initially traveling from Baku to Grozny in southern Russia, diverted from its planned route. Reports suggest the deviation was linked to Ukrainian drone attacks in southern Russian cities. Speculation has since arisen that the aircraft may have been accidentally shot down by Russian air defense systems.

During a call initiated by Putin, the Russian leader expressed condolences and regret for the incident but stopped short of claiming responsibility.

"President Vladimir Putin apologized for the tragic incident in Russian airspace and conveyed his deep and sincere condolences to the victims' families, along with wishes for a speedy recovery to the injured," the Kremlin said in a statement.

The Kremlin further explained that the Azerbaijani passenger plane had repeatedly attempted to land at Grozny Airport but was unable to do so due to ongoing Ukrainian drone attacks targeting Grozny, Mozdok, and Vladikavkaz. Russian air defense systems were actively repelling these attacks at the time.

According to Azerbaijan's presidential office, the plane was subjected to "external physical and technical interference" in Russian airspace, leading to a loss of control and its redirection to Aktau in Kazakhstan. Azerbaijani officials suspect the aircraft was struck mid-air, a claim that aligns with U.S. intelligence suggesting early indications of Russian air defense involvement.

The Embraer EMBR3.SA passenger jet had been en route from Azerbaijan's capital, Baku, to Grozny, in Russia's Chechnya region, before veering off course and ultimately crashing across the Caspian Sea.