Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued a formal apology to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev for what the Kremlin called a "tragic incident" in which Azerbaijan Airlines Flight J2-8243 crashed after being mistakenly targeted by Russian air defense units.
The crash claimed 38 lives including two pilots and chief flight attendant who are being remembered for their heroic actions.
Twenty-nine passengers survived the ordeal.
A statement from the Kremlin acknowledged that the aircraft, en route from Baku to Grozny, was flying its scheduled route when it became entangled in military operations in Russian airspace.
The apology comes amid mounting scrutiny and international calls for accountability.
The statement uses an ambiguous language without explicitly saying Russia was responsible. It basically says air defence systems were firing near Grozny due to a Ukrainian drone strike, but stops short of saying they hit the plane.
The surviving flight attendant claimed 3 missiles hit the aircraft.
Telephone conversation with Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev
At the initiative of the Russian side, a telephone conversation took place between Vladimir Putin and the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev.
Detailed discussions were held regarding the crash of the Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane on December 25 near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan.
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, wishing a speedy recovery to the injured.
During the conversation, it was noted that the Azerbaijani passenger aircraft, which was operating strictly according to schedule, repeatedly attempted to land at Grozny airport.
At that time, Grozny, Mozdok, and Vladikavkaz were under attack from Ukrainian combat drones, and Russian air defense systems were responding to these attacks.
The Russian Investigative Committee has initiated a criminal case under Article 263 of the Criminal Code (violation of safety regulations in the operation of air transport).
Preliminary investigative actions are underway, with both civilian and military specialists being questioned.
Currently, two representatives of the General Prosecutor's Office of Azerbaijan are in Grozny, working jointly with representatives of the General Prosecutor's Office and the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation.
The relevant services of Russia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan are also closely cooperating at the crash site near the city of Aktau.
