Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday apologized to Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev over the Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash this week. At least 38 people died in this tragic incident, while 29 others managed to survive the accident.
Putin expressed deep condolences
In a statement issued by the Kremlin, it was said that Putin expressed his condolences on this tragic accident. He expressed deep condolences to the families of the deceased and wished for the speedy recovery of the injured.
background of the accident
The accident occurred on Wednesday, when flight J2-8243 crashed near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan after taking off from southern Russia. During the accident, the plane made several attempts to land at Grozny Airport, but were unsuccessful.
Tense situation during the accident
According to the statement, at the time of the incident the Grozny, Mozdok, and Vladikavkaz regions were under threat of Ukrainian drone attacks. Russian air defense systems were active to stop these attacks. It is believed that these circumstances may have played an important role in the accident.
International experts’ response
Western experts and the US have feared that the accident could have been caused by a missile fired from a Russian air defense system. However, Moscow has refused to comment on this claim.
impact on air services
Since the accident, many airlines have temporarily suspended their flight services to Russia. Turkmenistan Airlines announced on Saturday that regular flights between Ashgabat and Moscow have been suspended from December 30, 2024 to January 31, 2025. However, the reason behind the cancellation of flights has not been clarified.
Further investigation and conclusions
This accident has raised questions on the safety of air travel between Russia and Azerbaijan. The cause of the incident is under investigation, and the international community is now focused on whether technical or human error was behind it.
The accident has highlighted the challenges not only of air safety but of aviation amid political tensions and military dynamics.
