Russian President Vladimir Putin apologised on Saturday over the crash of an Azerbaijani Airways aircraft, although he stopped wanting accepting that it might need been hit by Russian hearth.
Putin did admit that Russian air defences have been at work when the passenger aircraft tried to land in Grozny earlier than crashing, and the Kremlin mentioned Putin apologised to Azerbaijani chief Ilham Aliyev over the “tragic incident” in a telephone name, however didn’t say Russian air defence shot the aircraft.
Moscow had earlier mentioned that Grozny, the place the aircraft was because of land however as an alternative crashed in western Kazakhstan, was attacked by Ukrainian drones that day.
Baku, in the meantime, mentioned Aliyev had “emphasised” to Putin the plan was hit by exterior interference from Russia.
And on the streets of Baku, a number of residents AFP spoke to mentioned they anticipated an official apology from their Russian ally.
Moscow mentioned Putin had advised Aliyev the aircraft had tried to land in Grozny “a number of instances”.
“Throughout this time, Grozny, (the city of) Mozdok and Vladikavkaz have been being attacked by Ukrainian fight drones and Russian air defence was repelling these assaults,” Putin mentioned, based on a Kremlin transcript.
It added, “Vladimir Putin had offered his apologies that the tragic incident occurred in Russia’s air house and once more expressed his deep and real condolences to the households of the lifeless, wishing a fast restoration to these affected.”
An announcement from Aliyev’s workplace on the telephone name appeared to indicate little question that the aircraft was hit over Russia.
“President Ilham Aliyev emphasised that the Azerbaijan Airways passenger aircraft encountered exterior bodily and technical interference whereas in Russian airspace, leading to a whole lack of management,” Baku’s presidency mentioned.
It added that Aliyev “highlighted that the a number of holes within the plane’s fuselage, accidents sustained by passengers and crew because of international particles penetrating the cabin mid-flight, and testimonies from surviving flight attendants and passengers verify proof of exterior bodily and technical interference.”
Survivors have advised the media about listening to an “explosion” because the aircraft tried to land.
Aliyev’s workplace mentioned Baku wished an investigation “making certain these accountable are held accountable.”
– ‘Stark reminder’ of MH17 –
Putin additionally referred to as his Kazakh counterpart Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and mentioned Moscow was dedicated to participating in an “goal and clear” investigation into the crash.
Hypothesis has swirled for days that Russia by chance shot down the aircraft, with america weighing in Friday saying it had “early indications” the aircraft was shot.
Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky mentioned he additionally spoke to Aliyev Saturday and referred to as on “each nation to place stress on Russia to cease the lies about this catastrophe.”
He accused Moscow of the “identical lies that have been advised about MH-17” — the Malaysian Airways aircraft, which worldwide investigators have mentioned was downed by a missile shot by Russian-backed rebels in east Ukraine in 2014.
The EU’s high diplomat Kaja Kallas mentioned the crash was a “stark reminder” of MH17 and referred to as for a “swift, unbiased worldwide investigation.”
A sequence of airways have this week been cancelling flights to Russia after the incident, together with flydubai and Israel’s El Al.
The overwhelming majority of Western airways have stopped flights to Russia since Moscow launched its Ukraine offensive.
Whereas Kazakhstan — a key Russian ally — has had a muted response to the crash and never blamed Moscow, some officers in Azerbaijan, which additionally has shut ties to the Kremlin, referred to as for an apology.
– ‘Mourning simply earlier than the New Yr’ –
On Friday, Azerbaijani lawmaker Rasim Musabekov urged Russia to “settle for this, punish these accountable, and promise that such a factor is not going to occur once more.”
This sense was mirrored on the streets of Baku Saturday, the place the temper was sombre.
“Simply take a look at the injury, how many individuals’s properties have been stuffed with mourning simply earlier than the New Yr,” mentioned 64-year-old instructor Rafiga Mammadova.
Others referred to as for a public apology.
“We might have had such an incident as effectively,” 41-year-old Teymur Mammadov mentioned, in a rustic used to many years of battle with neighbouring Armenia.
“Such issues occur. Nonetheless, they need to apologise.”
Officers from Kyrgyzstan, in the meantime, visited three survivors of the crash within the metropolis of Aktau the place the aircraft crashed in Kazakhstan, releasing footage of males in hospital beds whom they mentioned can be transported dwelling quickly.
A number of survivors and several other our bodies from the crash have been dropped at Baku late on Friday.
AFP
