Putin Apologizes to Azerbaijan After Deadly Plane Crash

Russia's President Vladimir Putin meeting with young scientists at the Sirius Park of Science and Art in the southern Krasnodar region, Russia, on Nov. 29, 2023. Mikhail Klimentyev/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Russian President Vladimir Putin has apologized for the fact that an Azerbaijan Airlines flight crashed after entering Russian airspace, but did not say whether Russia was responsible for the incident.

The Kremlin press office confirmed in a statement on Saturday that Russia’s air defense systems were active when the plane attempted to land in Grozny, the capital of Russia’s Chechen Republic. On Dec. 25, the aircraft was unable to reach the airport and diverted eastward, ultimately crash landing near Aktau, Kazakhstan, killing at least 38 of the 67 passengers onboard.

“Vladimir Putin offered his apologies that the tragic incident had occurred in Russia’s airspace and once again conveyed his deep and sincere condolences to the families of the plane crash victims and wished those injured the quickest recovery,” the press office said in the statement.

According to the Kremlin, the passenger plane “repeatedly attempted” to land at the airport in Grozny but at the same time, the area was under attack by Ukrainian drones, and Russian air defense systems were engaged in repelling the assault.

Putin “apologized for the fact that the tragic incident occurred in Russian airspace” in a phone call with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev, the statement said.

Russian authorities have opened an investigation in relation to the disaster, it added.

Preliminary Probe Suggests ‘External Impact’

Azerbaijan’s Transport Minister, Rashad Nabiyev, stated that a preliminary investigation revealed the aircraft, which was traveling from Baku to Grozny, may have been struck by weapons fire before the crash.

“Preliminary conclusions by experts point at external impact,” Nabiyev told Azerbaijani media. “The type of weapon used in the impact will be determined during the probe.”

White House national security spokesman John Kirby has echoed that assessment, going a step further to suggest that the plane might have been downed by Russian anti-air weapons.

“We ... have seen some early indications that would certainly point to the possibility that this jet was brought down by Russian air defense systems,” Kirby said at a Dec. 27 press briefing.

“That said, there’s an ongoing investigation right now. Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan are conducting this jointly,” he added, noting that Washington has offered to assist the investigation should they need it and would “respect that process.”

The wreckage of Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 lies on the ground near the airport of Aktau, Kazakhstan, on Dec. 25, 2024, in a still from video. The Administration of Mangystau Region via AP

Ukraine Accuses Russia

Ukraine, which is soon entering its fourth year of its full-scale war with Russia, was quick to point the finger at Moscow after the crash.

“Russia should have closed the airspace over Grozny but failed to do so,” Andriy Kovalenko, who heads the counter-disinformation wing in Ukrainian National Defense Council, wrote on social media platform X on Dec. 25, highlighting what he considered as shrapnel damage on the aircraft.

“The plane was damaged by the Russians and was sent to Kazakhstan instead of being urgently landed in Grozny to save lives,” Kovalenko said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he also spoke to Aliyev on Saturday, adding that the footage of the plane makes it look “very much like an air defense missile strike.”

“The key priority now is a thorough investigation that will answer all questions about what really happened. Russia must provide clear explanations and stop spreading disinformation,” Zelenskyy wrote on X.