Emergency responders are pictured at the crash site of an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane near Aktau, Kazakhstan. Photo by Azamat Sarsenbayev/Reuters.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has expressed regret over the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines flight that entered Russian airspace in Grozny, Chechnya, on Wednesday but stopped short of taking responsibility.
Speaking Saturday, Putin acknowledged that Russia’s air defense systems were active as the plane attempted to land in Grozny. The aircraft failed to reach the airport, diverted east, and ultimately crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, killing all 38 people on board, according to the Kremlin.
While the cause of the crash remains unclear, a U.S. official told CNN on Thursday that preliminary evidence suggests a Russian anti-aircraft system may have been involved. However, Putin did not address whether Russian defenses had struck the aircraft.
In a phone call with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev, Putin “apologized for the fact that the tragic incident occurred in Russian airspace,” according to a Kremlin statement.
The Kremlin added that the plane made several landing attempts in Grozny, but at the same time, Russian air defenses were engaged in repelling attacks by Ukrainian combat drones in the areas of Grozny, Mozdok, and Vladikavkaz.
Russia’s investigative committee has launched a criminal investigation into the disaster, the statement said.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha accused Russian media of “lying about the cause of the crash” in a statement on Friday. He alleged that Moscow “forced the damaged jet to cross the sea, most likely in an attempt to conceal evidence of their crime.”
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