Russian President Vladimir Putin has apologised to his Azerbaijani counterpart after a passenger plane crash landed in Kazakhstan and left 38 people dead.
Some 29 people survived the crash, which saw an Azerbaijani airliner brought down over Kazakhstan on December 25.
The flight was on its way from the Azerbaijani capital Baku, to the Russian city of Grozny in Chechnya, when it diverted and crash-landed near Aktau in Kazakhstan, veering hundreds of miles off its planned route.
On Saturday, Putin apologized to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev “for the fact that the tragic incident occurred in Russian airspace”, but stopped short of claiming responsibility for downing the plane.
Meanwhile, a Kremlin statement said air defense systems were firing near Grozny on Wednesday due to a Ukrainian drone strike.
US officials said there are indications to suggest weapons may have downed the jet. White House national security spokesman John Kirby said the US has “seen some early indications that would certainly point to the possibility that this jet was brought down by Russian air defense systems”.
A US official said it may have been a case of mistaken identity involving a poorly-trained Russian unit.
Nabiyev, Azerbaijan’s minister of digital development and transportation, told Azerbaijani media that “preliminary conclusions by experts point at external impact,” as does witness testimony.
“The type of weapon used in the impact will be determined during the probe,” Nabiyev said.
Passengers and crew who survived the crash told Azerbaijani media that they heard loud noises on the aircraft as it was circling over Grozny.
Mobile phone footage appearing to capture the moment of the crash showed the aircraft making a steep descent before smashing into the ground in a fireball.
Witnesses and survivors reported hearing explosions as the plane came down.
The flight was carrying 62 passengers and five crew members at the time of the crash, according to Kazakhstan’s Interior Ministry. Of those onboard, 42 were Azerbaijani, 16 Russian, six Kazakhs and three Kyrgyzstan nationals, Kazakh officials said.
Follow STV News on WhatsApp
Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
