AZAL disaster: Putin apologizes to Azerbaijan, but not for downed plane

The Kremlin reported that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin had a phone conversation with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. Russian media sources state that the call was initiated by the Russian side.

They discussed the AZAL passenger plane crash. According to the Kremlin, Putin apologized to Aliyev for the "tragic incident" occurring in Russian airspace, but did not acknowledge the downing of the Embraer 190 aircraft in Grozny.

During the conversation, Putin claimed that the Azerbaijan Airlines plane, which was flying from Baku to Grozny on December 25, attempted to land twice. He also stated that at the time of the plane’s approach, the airports in Grozny, Mozdok, and Vladikavkaz were attacked by Ukrainian drones, and Russian air defense forces "repelled these attacks."

Air crash in Kazakhstan

On December 25, an Embraer 190 passenger plane belonging to Azerbaijan Airlines crashed near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan. The aircraft was operating flight J2-8243 from Baku to Grozny.

There were 67 people aboard the plane, 38 of whom were killed, including the pilots.

Initially, reports suggested that the cause of the crash was a bird strike. However, after footage from the crash site was released, it was revealed that the plane had been downed by Russian air defense systems. Kirill Budanov, the head of Ukraine's Military Intelligence (HUR), confirmed that the aircraft had been shot down by the Pantsir S1 system on Russian territory.

Azerbaijan Airlines stated that the crash resulted from "external physical and technical influences." However, Russia denies having downed the plane.

For more details about the Kazakhstan air disaster and how Russia is attempting to avoid responsibility, read the full article on RBC-Ukraine.