(CLO) Russian President Vladimir Putin has apologized to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev for the incident involving the AZAL plane that occurred in Russian airspace, the Kremlin press office reported on Saturday.
"President 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 of the plane crash and wished a speedy recovery to the injured," the press office said in a statement.
Russian President Vladimir Putin. Photo: Russian Presidential Press and Information Office
An AZAL Embraer 190 plane carrying 67 people crashed and killed 38 people on December 25 near the city of Aktau, Kazakhstan.
The plane departed from Baku, Azerbaijan, bound for Grozny, Russia. However, as it approached Grozny, the pilot reported an air accident and was forced to divert to Aktau airport, 500 km away across the Caspian Sea. However, the plane crashed before it could land successfully.
According to Dmitry Yadrov, head of the Russian aviation agency Rosaviatsia, at the time of the incident, the Grozny, Mozdok and Vladikavkaz regions were under attack by Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Russian air defense systems were activated to intercept these UAVs, while the area was also affected by thick fog.
Mr. Putin affirmed that Russia will cooperate fully with Azerbaijan to investigate this incident.
Security and rescue forces examine the remains of the crashed plane. Photo: Press service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Kazakhstan
Two officers from the Azerbaijan Prosecutor General's Office are currently in Grozny to coordinate with the Prosecutor General's Office and the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation. Aviation authorities of Russia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan are also working closely to clarify the cause of the accident.
President Ilham Aliyev stressed that the plane had suffered “external physical and technical impact”, which led to a complete loss of control and forced it to divert. Azerbaijani Transport Minister Rashad Nabiyev also confirmed that passengers on board heard three explosions while the plane was over Grozny.
The incident comes amid escalating hostilities between Russia and Ukraine, with drone attacks on Russian territory on the rise. The incident has once again raised concerns about the risk of accidental fire in complex military situations.
Cao Phong (according to TASS, Sky, Reuters)
Source: https://www.congluan.vn/nga-president-vladimir-putin-xin-loi-ve-vu-roi-may-bay-azerbaijan-post327972.html
Comment (0)