Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed his apologies to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev following a devastating plane crash that occurred earlier this week. The crash, which took place in Russian airspace, resulted in the tragic loss of 38 lives, with 29 survivors.
The incident has deeply affected both nations, prompting condolences and calls for further investigation.
The flight involved an Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 aircraft, which was traveling from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny, Russia. During its journey, the plane encountered severe difficulties and was forced to divert to the Grozny airport.
However, at the time of the attempted landing, the area was under attack by Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). According to the Kremlin, the plane made repeated attempts to land at Grozny, but Ukrainian drones were attacking multiple cities in the region, including Grozny, Mozdok, and Vladikavkaz.
Russian air defense systems reportedly repelled these UAV attacks, but the plane crashed near the western Kazakh city of Aktau, on the shores of the Caspian Sea. The aircraft went down in a ball of fire, and it was later revealed that the crash occurred after diverting from southern Russia due to the ongoing drone strikes.
In a statement, the Kremlin confirmed that President Putin had apologized to President Aliyev for the “tragic incident” and expressed his sincere condolences to the families of the victims. Putin also wished a speedy recovery to those who survived the crash.
The Kremlin’s statement elaborated on the sequence of events, noting that the plane had been on schedule but was caught in a dangerous situation as it tried to land amidst ongoing attacks on nearby cities.
While the cause of the crash is still under investigation, there have been suggestions from Western experts and the U.S. that the plane might have been accidentally downed by a Russian anti-aircraft missile.
Moscow has refrained from commenting on these reports, leaving the speculation unresolved for now.
Following the incident, several international airlines have announced the suspension of flights to Russian cities, citing safety concerns. Notably, Turkmenistan Airlines, the national carrier of Turkmenistan, has canceled flights between Ashgabat and Moscow from December 30, 2024, to January 31, 2025.
Similarly, Flydubai, an airline based in the UAE, has halted its services between Dubai and southern Russian cities such as Mineralnye Vody and Sochi, affecting flights scheduled between December 27 and January 3.
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