Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued an apology to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev following the downing of a commercial airliner in Russian airspace on Christmas Day, which claimed 38 lives. However, Putin stopped short of admitting Russia’s culpability in the incident.
In his first public remarks about the tragedy, Putin described the crash as a “tragic incident” that occurred while Russian air defense systems were countering Ukrainian drone attacks.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, meanwhile, has called on Russia to “stop spreading disinformation” regarding the incident, which saw the Azerbaijan Airlines jet come under fire before crash-landing near Aktau, Kazakhstan.
Details of the Crash
The plane, identified as flight J2-8243, was traveling from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny, Chechnya, on December 25. It reportedly came under fire from Russian air defenses while attempting to land in Grozny, forcing it to divert over the Caspian Sea. The crash resulted in 38 fatalities among the 67 passengers, who were primarily Azerbaijani nationals, along with others from Russia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.
Survivors, most of whom were seated at the rear of the plane, reported hearing loud explosions before the aircraft went down. Aviation experts suspect the plane’s GPS systems were disrupted by electronic jamming, leading it into the path of shrapnel from Russian air defense missiles.
Kremlin Response
On Saturday, the Kremlin released a statement detailing Putin’s phone conversation with Aliyev, in which he expressed condolences to the victims’ families and wished a swift recovery for the injured. Putin acknowledged the plane had made multiple attempts to land at Grozny airport amidst ongoing Ukrainian drone attacks on the region.
Despite Putin’s apology, the Kremlin did not explicitly confirm that Russian missiles were responsible for the downing of the aircraft. Instead, it emphasized that investigators from Russia, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan were cooperating closely at the crash site.
Ukraine and International Reactions
President Zelensky asserted that the damage to the plane’s fuselage bore a strong resemblance to that caused by an air defense missile strike. He called for a transparent investigation to uncover the truth behind the incident.
The United States defense officials have also indicated that Russia is likely responsible for the downing, while Azerbaijan’s transport minister described the crash as a result of “external interference.”
Broader Impact
Before Putin’s apology was made public, several Azerbaijani airlines suspended flights to Russian cities, citing safety concerns. The suspensions are expected to remain in place until the investigations conclude.
Russian aviation authorities had earlier described the region’s situation as “complicated” due to ongoing Ukrainian drone strikes. However, they refrained from providing further clarity about the crash pending the investigation results.
Both Russia and Azerbaijan have launched separate probes into the incident, with the findings expected to shed light on the events leading to this catastrophic loss.