Moscow: Russian President Expresses Condolences to Azerbaijan
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday apologized to Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev for the “tragic incident” involving an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane that crashed in Russian airspace. The crash, which occurred on Wednesday in western Kazakhstan, resulted in 38 deaths and 28 survivors.
Details of the Incident
Flight J2-8243, en route from Azerbaijan’s capital Baku to Grozny, Russia, crashed in a fireball near the city of Aktau, Kazakhstan, after diverting far off course. The plane had initially tried to land at Grozny airport, which was under attack by Ukrainian drones at the time. Russian air defense systems reportedly repelled these attacks.
Putin’s Statement
The Kremlin issued a statement saying that Putin expressed deep condolences to the victims’ families and wished the injured a speedy recovery. However, Putin did not take responsibility for the crash but acknowledged that the incident occurred in Russian airspace. He added that the Azerbaijani aircraft had attempted to land at Grozny airport, which was under attack by Ukrainian drones at the time.
Azerbaijan’s Response
Azerbaijan’s President Aliyev noted that the plane had been subjected to “external physical and technical interference” in Russian airspace, resulting in a complete loss of control and the redirection to Aktau. Azerbaijani officials have suggested that the plane was hit mid-air, while the U.S. has indicated that Russian air defense might have been responsible for the crash.
