Putin apologizes to Azerbaijani president for ‘tragic incident’ in Russian airspace

During a telephone conversation with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev on Saturday December 28, referring to the recent crash of an Azerbaijani plane, Russian President Vladimir Putin apologized for the “tragic incident” that occurred in Russian airspace, the Kremlin said.

>> Condolences after plane crash in Kazakhstan

The Azerbaijani plane repeatedly attempted to land at Grozny airport in Russia, Putin said, adding that at the time Grozny was under attack by Ukrainian drones and defense systems Russian air force had repelled these attacks.

During the telephone conversation, Putin expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to the injured, the press service of the Azerbaijani president said.

Mr Aliyev said the plane had to be diverted to Aktau, Kazakhstan, where it made an emergency landing.

Citing testimonies from survivors, including flight attendants, as evidence of external interference, Aliyev said the plane’s fuselage was punctured by foreign particles during the flight, injuring passengers and members of the crew.

Both leaders agreed on the need for a thorough investigation. Mr. Aliyev confirmed that an international team of experts had already started looking into the incident.

The Russian Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case for violation of air transport safety and operational rules, Putin told Aliyev, adding that preliminary investigations were underway.

Xinhua/VNA/CVN