The United Kingdom has criticized an apology from Russian President Vladimir Putin over the fatal plane crash in Kazakhstan on Christmas Day that killed dozens of people, describing Russia's actions as "reckless."
Why It Matters
A total of 38 people were killed and 29 survived when Azerbaijan Airlines flight J2-8243 crashed close to Aktau, southwestern Kazakhstan, on Wednesday. It was traveling from the Azeri capital Baku to Grozny, the capital of the Russian republic of Chechnya.
Several reports have suggested Russian air-defense systems operating around Grozny were responsible for the crash, although the exact causes remain unclear.
If Russian air-defense systems are confirmed to be responsible for the crash, Moscow could find itself in a tough diplomatic spot with Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan at a moment when fractious relations with its neighbors will not appeal to Russia.
Putin "appears to be trying to smooth over possible tensions in the Russian-Azerbaijani and Russian-Kazakh relationships," the U.S.-based think tank, the Institute for the Study of War said on Saturday.
What To Know
The Azerbaijan Airlines aircraft departed at 3:55 a.m. UTC on Wednesday (10:55 p.m. ET Tuesday) and traveled for half an hour before coming across "significant GPS interference," flight-tracking data suggested. It then sent location data intermittently, most of it assumed to be inaccurate, according to FlightRadar24.
The plane crashed hundreds of miles from its intended destination, and across the Caspian Sea. Footage showed the aircraft speeding toward the ground, with its landing gear engaged before crashing and bursting into flames.
Experts, officials, and open-source intelligence analysts quickly suggested Russian air defenses may have been responsible for the crash, saying that videos from the scene showed shrapnel damage.
White House National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby, told reporters on Friday that Washington had seen "some early indications that would certainly point to the possibility that this jet was brought down by Russian air-defense systems."
A Kremlin readout of a call between Putin and Azerbaijan's President, Ilham Aliyev, said the Russian leader had "apologized for the fact that the incident happened in Russian airspace."
The Azerbaijan Airlines aircraft "repeatedly tried to land at Grozny Airport," while Ukrainian drones attacked the Chechen capital and two towns in the neighboring North Ossetia–Alania region," Putin said.
Russian air defenses were "repelling these attacks" at the time, Putin said, according to the readout, but stopped short of accepting responsibility for the downing of the airplane.
The British government said the statement "fails to recognize that the reckless and irresponsible actions of the Russian state pose an acute and direct threat to the interests and national security of other states," Sky News reported.
A readout of the conversation between Putin and Aliyev, published by Azerbaijan's presidential office, said the Russian leader "expressed his apologies" over the crash, with the plane "subjected to external physical and technical interference in Russian airspace."
Aliyev "emphasized that the Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane encountered external physical and technical interference while in Russian airspace, resulting in a complete loss of control," according to the presidential readout.
A separate readout published by Baku said Aliyev had also spoken with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
NBC News reported on Friday the U.S. had intelligence that Russia may have misidentified the airliner as a drone before shooting it down, citing two U.S. military officials.
What People Are Saying
British government in a statement: Putin "fails to recognize that the reckless and irresponsible actions of the Russian state pose an acute and direct threat to the interests and national security of other states."
Steve Rosenberg, BBC Russia editor on X, formerly Twitter: "Rare apology from Kremlin, without actually admitting responsibility for the crash of Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 in Kazakhstan."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on X: "The key priority now is a thorough investigation to provide answers to all questions about what really happened. Russia must provide clear explanations and stop spreading disinformation. Photos and videos clearly show the damage to the aircraft's fuselage, including punctures and dents, which strongly point to a strike by an air defense missile."
What Happens Next
Moscow said it had launched a criminal probe into the crash, and officials from Azerbaijan's prosecutor general's office had arrived in Grozny. Baku said in its own statement that it had pushed for a "team of international experts" to investigate the cause of the crash, and that these officials had already started their enquiries.
"The heads of state also reaffirmed that the investigation into the tragedy will be conducted with full transparency, with regular updates provided to the public," the Azerbaijan presidential office said.
Kirby said on Friday that the U.S. had offered assistance to Kazakh and Azerbaijani authorities in their investigations, "should they want it."
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