Plane crash: Putin apologises to Azerbaijan without claiming responsibility

President Vladimir Putin has expressed regret over the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane on Christmas Day, describing the incident as a tragic occurrence, but refraining from admitting any responsibility on Russia’s part.

In a statement issued by the Kremlin on Saturday, it was revealed that Putin had spoken with Azerbaijan’s president, Ilham Aliyev, marking his first public response to the accident, which claimed 38 lives out of the 67 people onboard.

“Vladimir Putin apologised 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,” the statement read.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in his own response, extended condolences to President Aliyev while pressing Russia for transparency.

“The key priority now is a thorough investigation to provide answers to all questions about what really happened,” he said. “Russia must provide clear explanations and stop spreading disinformation.”

Speculation surrounding the crash has grown, with some suggesting that the commercial airliner’s GPS systems may have been disrupted by electronic jamming or that the plane was struck by air defence missiles targeting Ukrainian drones. 

The Kremlin noted that Ukrainian drones were attacking regions such as Grozny, Mozdok, and Vladikavkaz at the time, with Russian air defence systems engaged in repelling the assaults.

The aircraft, en route from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny, Chechnya, veered hundreds of miles off course, ultimately crash-landing in Kazakhstan. 

While Russian media initially blamed fog, Azerbaijan’s transport minister, Rashad Nabiyev, stated that “external interference” may have damaged the plane.

“All [the survivors] without exception stated they heard three blast sounds when the aircraft was above Grozny,” Nabiyev said.

Survivors have recounted harrowing moments before the crash. Subhonkul Rakhimov told the BBC, “I saw the fuselage shell was slightly damaged and then I got scared. I thought the plane would fall apart. I was very surprised that I was alive.” 

Another survivor, Vafa Shabanova, recalled feeling two explosions shortly after takeoff, saying, “The plane was supposed to land but it didn’t. Something exploded inside twice … we panicked.”

The White House has indicated it has seen “early indications” that Russia might have been involved, according to spokesperson John Kirby, and has offered assistance to investigators. Both Russia and Azerbaijan have launched investigations into the crash.

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