Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday apologized to his Azerbaijani counterpart for what he referred to as a “tragic incident” following the crash of an Azerbaijani airliner in Kazakhstan that killed 38 folks, however he stopped wanting acknowledging that Moscow was accountable.
Putin’s apology got here amid mounting allegations that the aircraft had been shot down by Russian air defences making an attempt to deflect a Ukrainian drone strike close to Grozny, the regional capital of the Russian republic of Chechnya.
An official Kremlin assertion issued on Saturday stated that air defence techniques have been firing close to Grozny airport because the airliner “repeatedly” tried to land there on Wednesday. It didn’t explicitly say certainly one of these hit the aircraft.
The assertion stated Putin apologized to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev “for the truth that the tragic incident occurred in Russian airspace.”
The readout stated Russia has launched a legal probe into the incident, and Azerbaijani state prosecutors have arrived in Grozny to take part.
The Kremlin additionally stated that “related providers” from Russia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan are collectively investigating the crash web site close to the town of Aktau in Kazakhstan.
The aircraft was flying from Azerbaijan’s capital, Baku, to Grozny when it turned towards Kazakhstan, tons of of kilometres throughout the Caspian Sea from its supposed vacation spot, and crashed whereas attempting to land. There have been 29 survivors.
As extra proof factors to the chance a missile introduced down an Azerbaijan Airways flight, among the survivors are talking out in regards to the moments earlier than the aircraft crashed in Kazakhstan.
In line with a readout of the decision supplied by Aliyev’s press workplace, the Azerbaijani president informed Putin that the aircraft was topic to “exterior bodily and technical interference,” though he additionally stopped wanting blaming Russian air defences.
Aliyev famous that the aircraft had a number of holes in its fuselage and that the occupants had sustained accidents “resulting from overseas particles penetrating the cabin mid-flight.”
On Friday, a U.S. official and an Azerbaijani minister made separate statements blaming the crash on an exterior weapon, echoing these made by aviation consultants who blamed the crash on Russian air defence techniques responding to a Ukrainian assault.
Passengers and crew who survived the crash informed Azerbaijani media that they heard loud noises on the plane because it was circling over Grozny.
Dmitry Yadrov, head of Russia’s civil aviation authority Rosaviatsia, stated on Friday that because the aircraft was making ready to land in Grozny in deep fog, Ukrainian drones have been focusing on the town, prompting authorities to shut the realm to air visitors.
Yadrov stated that after the captain made two unsuccessful makes an attempt to land, he was provided different airports however determined to fly to Aktau.
As Azerbaijan mourns 38 folks killed aboard a flight that crashed in Kazakhstan, consultants are pointing to indicators they are saying recommend a missile, doubtlessly one from Russia, was accountable.
Earlier within the week, Rosaviatsia had cited unspecified early proof as exhibiting {that a} chook strike led to an emergency on board.
Within the days following the crash, Azerbaijan Airways blamed “bodily and technical interference” and introduced the suspension of flights to a number of Russian airports. It did not say the place the interference got here from or present any additional particulars.
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