Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his apologies to Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev for a “tragic incident” involving an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane that crashed after Russian air defenses engaged Ukrainian drones in Russian airspace.
According to a report by ARY News on Sunday, flight J2-8243 went down in a fiery crash near Aktau, Kazakhstan, on Wednesday, after diverting from southern Russia, where Ukrainian drones were reportedly targeting several cities. At least 38 people were killed.
The report states that according to four sources familiar with Azerbaijan’s investigation into the crash, Russian air defenses mistakenly shot down the plane.
“President Vladimir Putin apologized for the tragic incident in Russian airspace, offering his heartfelt condolences to the victims’ families and wishing the injured a swift recovery,” the Kremlin stated.
The Kremlin explained that Ukrainian drones had been attacking Grozny, Mozdok, and Vladikavkaz at the time, and Russian air defenses were responding to these threats.
The apology came at Putin’s request, the Kremlin added.
Azerbaijan’s presidential office stated that President Aliyev noted the plane was “subjected to external physical and technical interference in Russian airspace, leading to a complete loss of control and a redirection to Aktau in Kazakhstan.”
The Embraer EMBR3.SA passenger jet had been en route from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny, Russia, before diverting hundreds of miles across the Caspian Sea.
