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Vladimir Putin has apologized to Azerbaijan for what he described as a “tragic incident” involving an Azerbaijani airliner in Russian airspace on Christmas Day.
Moscow called Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev and the Russian president offered “deep and sincere condolences” to the families of those affected, the Kremlin press office said on Saturday.
An Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 was flying from Baku to Grozny on Christmas Day when it diverted over the Caspian Sea and falls near AktauKazakhstan, killed 38 of the 67 people on board.
Senior US and Ukrainian officials blamed Russian anti-aircraft fire for the crash.
Although the Kremlin’s statement on Saturday did not definitively confirm that Russian air defense systems were responsible, it did not deny the accusation.
The plane “repeatedly tried to land at Grozny airport” while Ukrainian war drones were attacking nearby towns and Russian air defenses “were responding to these attacks”, according to the Kremlin.
“Vladimir Putin apologized for the tragic incident that happened at the Russian airport”, the statement said.
Russia’s Investigative Committee has opened a criminal investigation into the violation of aviation security, “civilian and military experts are being questioned,” the statement added.
Azerbaijani, Kazakh and Russian officials are already conducting a legal investigation, led by Baku.
Putin’s carefully worded admission stands in stark contrast to Moscow’s repeated denials of responsibility for the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in 2014, which investigators said was the result of a surface-to-air missile fired into the area. is held by Moscow-backed rebels in eastern Ukraine. A court in the Netherlands has found three men linked to the Russian military guilty of murder for their roles in the event.
Richard Giragosian, director of the Center for Regional Studies, a think tank based in Yerevan, said the Kremlin’s statement was “unexpected and unusual” for Putin.
He said the move “reveals the general weakness of Russia’s position” as Moscow pursues its war on Ukraine. Putin clearly “values his relationship with Turkey, the country of Azerbaijan’s protector, above all”, he added.
Andrey Kolesnikov, a Moscow-based political scientist, said that because of the plane crash, “Azerbaijani society has become anti-Russian overnight”.
Russia’s top aviation authorities initially suggested that the crash in Kazakhstan was caused by bird strikes on the plane’s engine. Azerbaijan’s president said he was told the flight was diverted due to bad weather.
On Friday, John Kirby, a spokesman for the US National Security Council, said there were early “indications” that the plane was there. hit by Russian air defenses. Rashad Nabiyev, Azerbaijan’s transport minister, said the same day that the accident was caused by a weapon operation.
Survivors, including passengers and crew, described an explosion outside the plane as it flew over Grozny.
On Thursday, the head of Russia’s main aviation authority, Dmitry Yadrov, admitted that the air conditions around Grozny were “very difficult” due to the attacks of Ukrainian warplanes.
In response to this crisis, five airlines have suspended some flights to Russia.
Turkmenistan Airlines has suspended its route from Ashgabat to Moscow while Azerbaijan Airlines, Kazakhstan’s Qazaq Air and UAE’s Flydubai have all suspended routes to southern Russia. Israel’s El Al has suspended its Tel Aviv to Moscow route.
Additional report by Robert Wright in London
