Reports from Russia indicate that President Vladimir Putin has apologized to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev for the crash of an Azerbaijani civilian aircraft and has extended condolences to the families of the victims.
According to a statement released by the Kremlin, President Putin called President Aliyev today to express regret over the incident in which an Azerbaijani civilian plane was shot down by Russia’s air defense system two days ago. The crash resulted in the deaths of 38 people and injuries to 29 others.
The civilian aircraft, which was en route from Baku to Grozny, Russia, was targeted by Russian air defense systems upon entering Russian airspace. During an emergency landing, 38 passengers lost their lives, and 29 others sustained injuries. Following the incident, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan’s aviation authorities have suspended flights to seven Russian cities.
