New reports suggest that Russian air defense may have mistakenly struck an Azerbaijan passenger jet during a Ukrainian drone attack, Al Jazeera reported.
Experts from Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan believe Russian air forces may have targeted the plane, which was flying over Russia-controlled Chechnya.
One expert called the incident a “crime,” alleging Russia worsened the situation by refusing to let the damaged aircraft land in its territory, forcing it to divert to Kazakhstan.
Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a statement Saturday apologizing to Azerbaijan’s president for the crash, which killed 38 people. However, Putin did not acknowledge Russia’s responsibility for the incident.
In his remarks, Putin described the crash as a “tragic incident” occurring while Russian air defense systems were responding to Ukrainian drones.
Reports indicate the aircraft veered over the Caspian Sea after being struck by Russian air defense systems while attempting to land in Chechnya.