Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent a letter to his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev with an apology for what he called a “tragic incident” after the deadly crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane in Kazakhstan. The plane, flying from Baku to Grozny, went down while approaching the airport, killing all 38 people on board.
In a Saturday statement, the Kremlin said Russian air defenses were operating in the skies near Grozny at the time of the crash due to a Ukrainian drone strike, without directly linking the actions with the plane crash. Putin has conveyed his condolences to the families of the victims and a speedy recovery to those injured.
Reports say at the time of the crash, Grozny and its surroundings were under attack by drones, for which the Russian air defenses were activated. Investigations in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Russia are underway, and speculations are running high as to what might have brought down the plane.
Azeri officials said the aircraft may have been struck midair, and preliminary evidence from the United States suggests that Russian air defenses may be involved in the incident. Evidence of physical damage to the aircraft has been pointed out by observers, raising some questions regarding the possible involvement of Moscow.
The European Union’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has meanwhile called for a “swift, independent international investigation” into the crash. In Moscow, Al Jazeera reported that Putin acknowledged the incident occurred in Russian airspace but stopped short of admitting any responsibility of Russian forces.
President Aliyev of Azerbaijan told Putin that the plane, while in Russian airspace, was subjected to “external physical and technical interference” which resulted in a total loss of control. This claim was substantiated with evidence such as damage to the fuselage and survivors’ testimonies indicating external impact.
The White House has also pointed out that Russian air defenses might have shot down the jet, but details remain scanty as investigations are still ongoing. The Kremlin said it was in close cooperation with Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan over the crash, underlining that thorough inquiry was needed.
