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Vladimir Putin has apologised to Azerbaijan for what he described as a “tragic incident” involving an Azerbaijani plane in Russian airspace on Christmas Day.
Moscow phoned Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev and the Russian president expressed “deep and honest condolences” to the households of these affected, the Kremlin’s press workplace stated on Saturday.
The Azerbaijan Airways Embraer 190 aircraft was flying from Baku to Grozny on Christmas Day when it diverted throughout the Caspian Sea and crash-landed close to Aktau, Kazakhstan, killing 38 of the 67 individuals on board.
Senior US and Ukrainian officers blamed Russian anti-aircraft hearth for the crash.
Though the Kremlin’s assertion on Saturday didn’t explicitly affirm that Russian air defence methods had been accountable, it didn’t deny the allegation.
The plane “repeatedly tried to land at Grozny airport” whereas Ukrainian fight drones had been attacking close by cities and Russian air defences had been “responding to those assaults”, in line with the Kremlin.
“Vladimir Putin apologised for the tragic incident that occurred in Russian airspace”, the assertion stated.
A Russian investigative committee has opened a legal investigation into alleged violations of aviation security laws, with “civilian and army specialists being questioned”, the assertion added.
Azerbaijani, Kazakh and Russian officers are already conducting an official investigation, led by Baku.
Putin’s rigorously worded acknowledgment sharply contrasts with Moscow’s repeated denial of duty for the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airways flight MH17, which investigators attributed to a surface-to-air missile fired from territory held by Moscow-backed rebels in japanese Ukraine. A court docket within the Netherlands has discovered three males with hyperlinks to the Russian army responsible of homicide for his or her roles within the incident.
Richard Giragosian, director of the Regional Research Heart, a Yerevan-based think-tank, stated the Kremlin’s assertion “was each surprising and out of character” for Putin.
He stated the transfer “reveals the general weak point of Russia’s place” as Moscow pursues its struggle in Ukraine. Putin clearly “values his relationship with Turkey, Azerbaijan’s patron state, over all else”, he added.
Andrey Kolesnikov, a Moscow-based political scientist, stated that on account of the aircraft crash, “Azerbaijani society has in a single day grow to be anti-Russian”.
Russia’s predominant aviation authority had initially recommended that the Kazakhstan crash was brought on by a fowl strike to the aircraft’s engine. Azerbaijan’s president stated he had been advised the aircraft had been diverted because of poor climate situations.
On Friday John Kirby, the US Nationwide Safety Council spokesperson, stated there have been “early indications” that the aircraft had been hit by Russian air defences. Rashad Nabiyev, Azerbaijan’s transport minister, stated on the identical day that the crash had been brought on by a weapon impression.
Survivors, together with passengers and crew, have described explosions exterior the aircraft because it flew over Grozny.
On Thursday, the top of Russia’s predominant aviation authority Dmitry Yadrov admitted that air situations round Grozny had been “very tough” because of assaults from Ukrainian fight drones.
In response to the disaster, 5 airways have suspended some flights to Russia.
Turkmenistan Airways suspended its route from Ashgabat to Moscow whereas Azerbaijan Airways, Kazakhstan’s Qazaq Air and the UAE’s Flydubai all suspended routes to southern Russia. Israel’s El Al has suspended its Tel Aviv to Moscow route.
Extra reporting by Robert Wright in London
