Vladimir Putin has acknowledged that Russian air defense was operational when an Azerbaijani Airlines plane attempted to land in Grozny prior to its crash, breaking the Kremlin’s silence amid growing speculation that Russia may have inadvertently targeted the aircraft.
The Russian leader reached out to his Azerbaijani counterpart, Ilham Aliyev, to express regret that the incident occurred within Russian airspace, while refraining from confirming that Russian air defense fired upon the plane.
In response, the Azerbaijani government reported that Mr. Aliyev “emphasized” to Mr. Putin that the plane had been impacted by external factors while over Russia, insisting that those responsible should be “held accountable”.
This conversation between the two leaders took place three days after the Embraer 190, which was en route from Baku to Grozny, crashed in Kazakhstan, resulting in the deaths of 38 individuals out of the 67 on board.
Survivors reported hearing an ‘explosion’ as the aircraft made its landing attempt.
Mr. Putin informed Mr. Aliyev that the plane had made several attempts to land in Grozny.
“During this time, Grozny, (the town of) Mozdok, and Vladikavkaz were under attack from Ukrainian combat drones, and Russian air defense was actively repelling these assaults,” Mr. Putin stated, according to a Kremlin transcript.
The transcript further noted that “Vladimir Putin offered his apologies for the tragic incident occurring in Russia’s airspace and expressed his heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased, wishing a swift recovery to those affected.”
However, Mr. Aliyev remained convinced that the plane was shot at within Russian airspace.
“President Ilham Aliyev stressed that the Azerbaijan Airlines passenger jet experienced external physical and technical interference while flying over Russian airspace, leading to a total loss of control,” stated Baku’s presidency.
It also highlighted that “the numerous holes in the aircraft’s fuselage, the injuries sustained by passengers and crew from foreign objects penetrating the cabin mid-flight, along with testimonies from surviving flight attendants and passengers, provide clear evidence of external physical and technical interference.”
Media reports from survivors mentioned hearing an “explosion” as the plane was attempting to land.
Mr. Aliyev’s office stated that Azerbaijan seeks an investigation “to ensure that those responsible are held accountable.”
‘A Stark Reminder’ of MH17
Speculation has persisted for several days, and the US weighed in on the matter yesterday.
White House spokesman John Kirby indicated that Washington had “early indications that suggest this jet may have been downed by Russian air defense systems.”
The phone call from Mr. Putin came after the Kremlin previously remarked that it would be “inappropriate” to engage in speculation.
The Kremlin also stated its readiness to collaborate with the investigations being conducted by Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan.
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While some within Azerbaijan—a Russian ally—have called for an apology from the Russian government, Kazakhstan, another key ally of Russia, has not directly blamed Russia.
Earlier statements from Russian officials indicated that Ukrainian drones were attacking Grozny that day.
Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky remarked that he also spoke to Mr. Aliyev today, noting that footage of the plane suggested it resembled an air defense missile strike.
“The main priority now is a comprehensive investigation that will clarify all questions regarding what truly occurred. Russia must provide clear explanations and cease disseminating disinformation,” Mr. Zelensky stated via social media.
I spoke to @presidentaz Ilham Aliyev and expressed condolences to him and the people of Azerbaijan regarding the tragic crash of flight J2-8243 of Azerbaijan Airlines. We acknowledged the heroism of the pilots and the entire crew of the aircraft.
The main priority now is a… pic.twitter.com/s4DAgXdEaK
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) December 28, 2024
The EU has called for a “prompt, independent international investigation.”
Its top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, remarked that the incident was a “stark reminder” of the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 disaster, which international investigations concluded was shot down by a surface-to-air missile fired by Russian-backed rebels over eastern Ukraine in 2014.
Airlines Cancel Flights
Following the incident, several airlines have started canceling flights to Russia this week, including those of Russia’s ally nations.
The majority of Western airlines ceased operations to Russia following Moscow’s offensive in Ukraine.
Turkmenistan Airlines—the national carrier of the secretive Central Asian state—was the latest to announce cancellations on Saturday.
It stated that “regular flights between Ashgabat and Moscow will be canceled from 30/12/2024 to 31/01/2025,” without providing further explanation.
This decision followed the suspension of flights by UAE airline flydubai between Dubai and the southern Russian cities of Mineralnye Vody and Sochi, scheduled for December 27 to January 3.
Kazakhstan’s Qazaq Air has halted its flights to Yekaterinburg in Russia’s Ural region until the end of January.
Earlier this week, Israeli airline El Al announced the suspension of its flights to Moscow for one week.
