President Vladimir Putin has issued an apology to Azerbaijan regarding a tragic incident involving an Azerbaijani plane that crashed in Russian airspace on Christmas Day. The incident involved an Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190, which was en route from Baku to Grozny when it turned and crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, resulting in the deaths of 38 of the 67 individuals on board.
In a statement from the Kremlin, President Putin expressed condolences to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who in response conveyed deep sympathy to the victims’ families. U.S. and Ukrainian officials have suggested that the crash was caused by Russian anti-aircraft fire, a claim that the Kremlin did not directly confirm or deny. The Kremlin’s account indicated that the plane was attempting to land while Ukrainian military drones carried out attacks in the vicinity, prompting Russian air defense responses.
Following the crash, Russia’s Investigative Committee launched a criminal inquiry into potential violations of aviation safety protocols, with investigations being conducted by Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Russian officials under Baku’s leadership. Analysts noted that the Kremlin’s relatively conciliatory statement represents a shift from its previous hardline stance concerning international incidents, particularly in light of the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, where Russian involvement was strongly implicated.
Experts believe that the incident has intensified anti-Russian sentiments in Azerbaijan. Russia’s aviation authority initially attributed the crash to a bird strike, while Azerbaijani officials suggested bad weather may have played a role. However, the claims of a collision with weapons and survivor accounts of explosions during flight raised further concerns about the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
In the aftermath of the incident, several airlines have grounded flights to Russia, with Turkmenistan Airlines and others suspending routes in response to heightened safety concerns.