Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday apologized to his Azerbaijani counterpart for what he called a “tragic incident” following the crash of an Azerbaijani airliner in Kazakhstan that killed 38 people.
Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243, an Embraer 190 aircraft, was flying from the Azerbaijani capital of Baku to the city of Grozny in Russia’s North Caucasus region on Wednesday when it was diverted for reasons that aren’t yet fully clear.
It crashed while trying to reach another airport in Aktau, in western Kazakhstan. There were 29 survivors.
Putin’s call with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev came after speculation grew that Russian air defense may have accidentally shot down the plane.
In an official statement Saturday, the Kremlin said air defense systems were firing near Grozny on Wednesday due to a Ukrainian drone strike, but stopped short of saying one of these hit the plane.
“(President) 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 and wished a speedy recovery to the injured,” the Kremlin said in a statement.
The Kremlin said the call took place at Putin’s request.
On Friday, a U.S. official and an Azerbaijani minister made separate statements blaming the crash on an external weapon.
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