Latest: Putin Apologizes To Azerbaijan President For "Tragic" Flight J28243 Downed In Russian Airspace

By Luke Bodell - Journalist | Simple Flying

Russian President Vladimir Putin has apologized to Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev for the crash of Azerbaijan Airlines flight J28243, although he did not confirm Russian responsibility for the tragic accident. Azerbaijan's transport minister has gone on the record that the crash was the result of "external interference" as all signs point towards Russian involvement.

Putin apologizes for Azerbaijan Airlines "tragic incident"

The Kremlin released a statement today saying that Putin had personally phoned Aliyev to apologize for "the tragic incident that occurred in Russian airspace." Putin said that Grozny, where the Embraer E190 had attempted to land multiple times, was "being attacked by Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles, and Russian air defense systems repelled these attacks," but stopped short of confirming it was a Russian missile that struck the aircraft.

The Kremlin also confirmed that the aircraft was not given permission to land at a Russian airport, forcing it to fly across the Caspian Sea towards Kazakhstan while flight control was compromised. The leading theory behind the cause of the crash is that the E190 was targeted by Russian air defense systems, with forces in the region likely mistaking it for a Ukrainian drone.

According to Azerbaijan transport minister Rashad Nabiyev, the aircraft encountered both "physical and technical" interference while attempting to land in Grozny. ADS-B data suggests the aircraft was subjected to prolonged electronic interference - the plane only popped back up on radar screens over the Caspian Sea around 20 minutes before it crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan.

Crash survivors all heard blast sounds

29 of the aircraft's 67 occupants miraculously survived the crash, and many have now had the opportunity to share their testimony with investigators and the media. Apparently, survivors on the aircraft all reported hearing multiple explosion sounds, suggesting there were either multiple missile strikes or secondary explosions from components within the aircraft. Nabiyev said,

"All [the survivors] without exception stated they heard three blast sounds when the aircraft was above Grozny."

US officials have supported the theory of Russian involvement, with one unnamed official telling ABC News that the holes seen on the aircraft fuselage were "consistent with shrapnel damage" from an anti-aircraft missile. Another high-ranking Azerbaijani official has said there is evidence indicating that the plane was struck by a missile fired from a Russian Pantsir-S1 system, while Ukrainian President Zelensky said the shrapnel holes were "very reminiscent of an air defense missile strike."

Russia says skies were closed

According to Dmitry Yadrov, head of the Federal Agency for Air Transport (Rosaviatsiya), authorities had implemented a "Carpet Plan" in the airspace in the region around Grozny, which requires all present aircraft to leave the area immediately.

Azerbaijan Airlines has since announced it is suspending flights to several Russian cities in light of the tragedy, while a handful of other carriers - including El Al, flydubai and Turkmenistan Airlines - have also suspended flights until the investigation is complete. Additionally, other airlines are currently reviewing the situation in light of security concerns and may implement their own route suspensions in the coming days.

Azerbaijan authorities have launched a criminal investigation into the accident. Embraer has also sent experts to visit the crash site, and members of the National Civil Aviation Agency of Brazil (ANAC) will arrive this weekend.