Russian President Vladimir Putin admitted on Saturday that Russia’s air defense systems were active when Azerbaijan Airlines flight J2-8243 attempted to land in Grozny, Chechnya on Wednesday.

MOSCOW, Dec 28, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Russian leader Vladimir Putin told his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev on Saturday that Russian air defence was active when an Azerbaijani Airlines plane tried to land in Grozny before it crashed, the Kremlin said.

Russia's Vladimir Putin on Saturday apologised to Ilham Aliyev, the president of Azerbaijan, for a "tragic incident" which happened in Russian airspace involving an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane that crashed on Wednesday.

Putin says Azerbaijani passenger aircraft made multiple attempts to land in city of Grozny at time of Ukraine's drone attack - Anadolu Ajansı

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday apologised to his Azerbaijani counterpart for what he called a tragic incident following the crash of an Azerbaijani airliner in Kazakhstan that killed 38 people.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has apologised to his Azerbaijani counterpart for what he called a “tragic incident” following the crash of an Azerbaijani airliner in Kazakhstan that killed 38 people

The White House said Friday there were "early indications" that Russian air defenses downed an Azerbaijan Airlines flight in Kazakhstan.

An Azerbaijan Airlines statement on Dec. 27 blamed “interference” for the Christmas Day plane crash that killed 38 people.

The Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed experienced "external physical and technical interference," the airline says.

U.S. and Azerbaijani officials have said weapons fire may have brought down an Azerbaijani airliner that crashed on Wednesday, killing 38 people