Russian President Vladimir Putin apologized to Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev on Saturday for a “tragic incident” involving an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane that crashed in Russian airspace amid defense responses to Ukrainian drone attacks.
The incident occurred on Wednesday when Flight J2-8243 crashed in a fireball near Aktau, Kazakhstan, after diverting from its route in southern Russia. The crash claimed the lives of at least 38 people.
Preliminary findings from Azerbaijan’s investigation suggest that the plane was mistakenly shot down by Russian air defenses, according to four sources familiar with the case. The defense systems were reportedly responding to Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian cities, including Grozny, Mozdok, and Vladikavkaz, the Kremlin stated.
In a statement, the Kremlin said, “(President) Vladimir Putin apologized for the tragic incident that occurred in Russian airspace and once again expressed his deep and sincere condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to the injured.”
Azerbaijan’s presidential office stated that the Embraer EMBR3.SA passenger jet encountered “external physical and technical interference” in Russian airspace, leading to a complete loss of control and its redirection to Aktau. The flight had originally departed from Azerbaijan’s capital, Baku, en route to Grozny in Russia’s Chechnya region.
The apology call between Putin and Aliyev reportedly took place at Putin’s request, as the Kremlin emphasized the ongoing challenges posed by Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles targeting Russian cities.
