Russian President Vladimir Putin has apologized to Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev over what he described as a “tragic incident” in Russian airspace, acknowledging a connection to the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 aircraft but stopping short of taking full responsibility. The apology came during a phone call on Saturday, according to the Kremlin, amidst rising anger over the incident.
The crash, which occurred earlier this week, claimed the lives of 38 people out of the 67 onboard. Preliminary findings revealed that a missile from a Russian air defense system struck the aircraft, and Russian authorities reportedly diverted the plane out of Russian airspace prior to the incident. Azerbaijani politicians have publicly held Russia responsible for the crash.
In the conversation, Putin reportedly explained that Russian air defenses were responding to an attack by Ukrainian drones in the region when the incident occurred. He expressed “deep and sincere condolences” to the families of the victims and wished a swift recovery for the injured, according to a Kremlin statement.
The investigation into the crash remains ongoing, and the situation has added tension to the already delicate relations between Russia and Azerbaijan.