Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday had a phone call with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev about this week’s Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash in Kazakhstan, and gave an apology and condolences.
“Vladimir Putin apologized for the tragic incident that occurred in Russian airspace and once again expressed his deep and sincere condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to the injured,” the Kremlin said in a statement.
Putin highlighted that the Azerbaijani passenger aircraft had made multiple attempts to land in the city of Grozny, Chechnya at a time when Russian air defense systems were actively responding to a Ukrainian drone attack
He told Aliyev that the Russian Investigative Committee had initiated a case under Article 263 of the Criminal Code, which covers violations of air traffic safety and operation rules.
“Preliminary investigative actions are underway, with civilian and military specialists being consulted,” the statement added.
On Wednesday an Azerbaijan Airlines flight from Azerbaijan’s capital Baku to Grozny crashed near the city of Aktau, Kazakhstan killing 38 people and leaving 29 survivors among the 67 onboard.
Two representatives from Azerbaijan’s General Prosecutor’s Office are currently in Grozny collaborating with Russian officials from the General Prosecutor’s Office and the Investigative Committee.
Various services from Russia, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan are coordinating closely at the crash site near Aktau to manage the aftermath of the disaster.