Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated the need for an objective and transparent investigation into the commercial plane crash in Kazakhstan, which experts believe may have been caused by a Russian anti-aircraft missile.
The Azerbaijani Airlines plane crashed in Kazakhstan on Wednesday while carrying 67 people, resulting in 38 fatalities. The Embraer 190 aircraft, manufactured by the Brazilian company, was en route from Baku to Grozny when it crashed near Aktau on the shores of the Caspian Sea.
Putin apologized to his Azerbaijani counterpart for the plane crash, acknowledging that the Russian anti-aircraft defense system was active at the time of the accident. He stated that the plane attempted to land at the Grozny airport but was repelled due to Ukrainian combat drones attacking the city.
Various airlines have suspended their flights to Russia, with 17 experts from different nationalities participating in the investigations, including Russian and Brazilian specialists. Embraer expressed its condolences and commitment to supporting the authorities in the investigation, sending a team of specialists to the site.