Putin apologises for ‘tragic’ Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash but does not take responsibility
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Azerbaijan says the plane had multiple holes in its fuselage and that the occupants had sustained injuries ‘due to foreign particles penetrating the cabin mid-flight’. Vladimir Putin has apologised to his Azerbaijani counterpart over a plane crash in Russian airspace that left dozens dead - but he stopped short of acknowledging Moscow’s possible responsibility for the incident despite mounting evidence to the contrary.
![[Russian president Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting of the permanent members of the Security Council from the Kremlin]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/12/28/15/shutterstock_editorial_Russian_President_Putin_Meets_15048619a.jpg)
Flight J2-8243 crashed on Wednesday in a ball of fire near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan after diverting from southern Russia, where Ukrainian drones were reported to be attacking several cities. At least 38 people were killed in the crash while 29 survived.
![[The wreckage of an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane at the crash site near the city of Aktau, Kazakhstan]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/12/27/12/2024-12-25T180049Z_420376633_RC2IWBAXFX69_RTRMADP_3_KAZAKHSTAN-CRASH.jpg)
The plane was flying from Azerbaijan’s capital, Baku, to Grozny when it turned toward Kazakhstan, hundreds of miles across the Caspian Sea from its intended destination, and crashed while making an attempt to land. The US has suggested Russia could be responsible for the downing of the plane, while sources in Azerbaijan claimed Russian air defence missiles hit the plane. Ukraine has also said the evidence “strongly points” to Russia’s culpability.
![[Flowers and portraits are placed at the Consulate of Azerbaijan in the memory of victims of the Azerbaijan Airlines crash]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/12/27/12/fa0b3a156e3c4ce094f887ea660438be.jpg)
An official Kremlin statement issued on Saturday said air defence systems were firing near Grozny airport as the airliner “repeatedly” attempted to land there, but did not explicitly say one of these hit the plane. “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 said.
