Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday issued an apology to Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev for a “tragic incident” in Russian airspace involving an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane. The plane, diverted due to Ukrainian drone attacks, crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, on Wednesday, killing at least 38 people.

Flight J2-8243, en route from Baku to Grozny, Chechnya, veered off course and went down in flames after reports of Russian air defences targeting Ukrainian drones in the area. Sources familiar with Azerbaijan’s preliminary investigation told Reuters that Russian air defences mistakenly shot down the aircraft.

In a statement, the Kremlin acknowledged the tragedy:
“President Vladimir Putin expressed his sincere apologies for the tragic event in Russian airspace, extended his deep condolences to the victims’ families, and wished the injured a swift recovery.”

The statement noted that at the time of the incident, Russian air defence systems were countering Ukrainian drone attacks in Grozny, Mozdok, and Vladikavkaz.

The apology came during a phone call initiated by Putin. Azerbaijan’s President Aliyev had earlier stated that the plane encountered “external physical and technical interference in Russian airspace,” leading to a complete loss of control and its redirection to Aktau.

The Embraer EMBR3. SA passenger jet, which had been on a routine flight, tragically deviated hundreds of miles across the Caspian Sea before the crash, marking a somber chapter in escalating regional tensions.