Putin apologizes to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev over plane crash

Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the plane crash involving an Azerbaijani Airlines (AZAL) passenger aircraft near Aktau with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev over the phone, the Kremlin said.

"During the conversation, the issues surrounding the crash of an Azerbaijani Airlines passenger plane on December 25 near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan were thoroughly discussed," the statement reads.

It was emphasized during the conversation that the Azerbaijani plane attempted to land in Grozny amidst attacks by Ukrainian drones and operations by the Russian air defense system.

"Putin apologized to Aliyev for the incident involving the Azerbaijani plane, which occurred in Russian airspace. The Russian President also expressed condolences once again to the families of the victims of the crash," the statement added.

According to the report, the Russian Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case under Article 263 of the Criminal Code (Violation of Safety Rules for Air Transport Operation and Use). Preliminary investigative measures are underway, with civilian and military specialists being questioned. Currently, two employees of the Azerbaijani Prosecutor General's Office are in Grozny, working in cooperation with representatives of the Russian Prosecutor General's Office and the Investigative Committee. Relevant agencies from Russia, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan are closely collaborating at the incident site near Aktau.

It was noted that the conversation took place at the initiative of the Russian side.