MOSCOW. Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a rare public apology to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Saturday over what the Kremlin described as a “tragic incident” involving the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane. The disaster, which occurred after Russian air defense systems were activated against Ukrainian drone attacks, claimed the lives of at least 38 people.
The ill-fated Flight J2-8243 was en route from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny, Chechnya, when it crash-landed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, on Wednesday. The flight had diverted from its intended route through southern Russia, where multiple Ukrainian drone attacks were reported.
In a statement, the Kremlin said, “President Putin apologised 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.” Putin also conveyed his sympathies to Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev over the casualties.
Investigation Points to Russian Air Defenses
Preliminary findings suggest that Russian air defenses may have mistakenly shot down the Embraer jet. According to four sources involved in Azerbaijan’s investigation, the aircraft was likely misidentified as an incoming drone. Survivors reported hearing a loud bang before the crash.
The Azerbaijani government stated that the plane had been “subjected to external physical and technical interference in Russian airspace, resulting in a complete loss of control and redirection to the Kazakh city of Aktau.” Evidence included objects that had pierced the fuselage and survivor testimonies.
Footage from passengers showed oxygen masks deployed and people wearing life jackets before the crash. Videos taken after the incident revealed injured passengers climbing out of the wreckage. Of the 175 people on board, there were 29 survivors.
The White House said on Friday that initial indications suggested the airliner might have been downed by Russian air defense systems. U.S. President Joe Biden, while on vacation in St. Croix, said, “Apparently he [Putin] did [take responsibility], but I haven’t spoken to him or my team.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy expressed condolences to Azerbaijan and demanded “clear explanations” from Russia. Meanwhile, MSNBC, citing U.S. intelligence sources, reported that Russian forces might have mistaken the civilian jet for a hostile drone.
The Kremlin maintained that investigations are ongoing, and both civilian and military personnel are being questioned. Russia has yet to confirm direct responsibility for the crash.
This incident highlights the risks to commercial aviation, even hundreds of miles from active war zones. Russia’s air defense and electronic jamming operations to counter Ukrainian drones have increased the hazards to civilian flights.
The tragedy echoes past aviation disasters, including the 2020 downing of a Ukrainian jetliner by Iranian forces and the 2014 shooting down of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine. Both incidents involved misidentification of civilian aircraft during military conflicts.
Azerbaijan has vowed to pursue accountability as investigations continue. Meanwhile, international attention remains focused on Russia’s response and measures to prevent similar tragedies.
Gary P Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
