Putin admits responsibility for downing of Azerbaijani plane

(MENAFN) Russian President Vladimir Putin admitted responsibility for the downing of an Azerbaijani plane in a telephone conversation with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, according to the Kremlin and Russian media. The plane, which was attempting to land in Grozny, was shot down by Russian air defenses responding to Ukrainian drone attacks. Putin apologized for the incident and assured Aliyev that Russian air defense systems were active during the plane's landing.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Russia is prepared to assist Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan in investigating the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane near Aktau, Kazakhstan, on December 25. Peskov referenced statements made by Dmitry Yadarov, the head of the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency, who expressed Russia’s commitment to providing full support for the investigation.

On Thursday, Azerbaijani officials confirmed the plane had been struck by a Russian Pantsir S air defense system. The crash resulted in 29 survivors among the 62 passengers and crew, including 37 Azerbaijani citizens, 16 Russians, 6 Kazakhs, and 3 Kyrgyz nationals.

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