A SHAMED Vladimir Putin made a mealy-mouthed apology after a passenger plane is believed to have been shot down by a Russian missile.
Moscow state media reported the tyrant said a rare “sorry” over the crash that killed 38 people in a phone call with Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev.
AlamyVladimir Putin said sorry over the Azerbaijani plane crash[/caption]
ReutersA drone view shows emergency specialists working at the crash site[/caption]
East2WestPutin’s air defences crippled the plane that then crashed[/caption]
But despite apologising, Vlad continued to dodge taking responsibility for the Christmas Day disaster – instead merely being sorry it happened in his airspace.
He described the crash as a “tragic incident” – and admitted that Russian air defences were active at the time of the approach by the plane.
The 72-year-old insisted his troops were repelling Ukrainian drones attacking the Russian region of Chechnya.
And the Kremlin confirmed they have launched a criminal investigation into the crash.
It is understood Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 was hit by an air defence missile while going to land in the Russian city of Grozny after taking off from Baku in Azerbaijan.
Putin’s forces have also been accused of jamming the plane’s systems and refusing the stricken aircraft permission to make an emergency landing in Russia.
Hero pilots bravely struggled on in their crippled airliner – managing to cross the Caspian Sea before plummeting to the ground near Aktau International Airport in Kazakhstan.
But their efforts managed to save the lives of 29 out of the 67 people on board – even as both of them died in the horrific crash.
In a statement on the phone call, the Kremlin said: “A detailed discussion was held regarding the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane on 25 December near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan.
“Vladimir Putin expressed his apologies for the fact that the tragic incident occurred in Russian airspace.
“He once again extended his deepest and most sincere condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to those injured.
“During the conversation, it was noted that the Azerbaijani passenger aircraft, which was strictly following its scheduled route, had made several attempts to land at the airport in Grozny.
“At the time, Grozny, Mozdok, and Vladikavkaz were under attack by Ukrainian combat drones, and Russian air defence systems were repelling these assaults.”
The plane is believed to have been downed by a Pantsir-S air defence system.
ReutersPutin pictured with Azerbaijan’s leader Ilham Aliyev in 2020[/caption]
AFPInvestigations are ongoing – but Russia is the prime suspect in the crash[/caption]
GettySome 29 passengers and crew survived in a miracle escape[/caption]
ReutersThe plane was hit over Russia – before then struggling on the Kazakhstan[/caption]
The Kremlin said: “The Investigative Committee of Russia has opened a criminal case under Article 263 of the Criminal Code (violation of traffic safety rules and the operation of air transport). Initial investigative actions are underway, and both civilian and military specialists are being questioned.
“At present, two employees from the General Prosecutor’s Office of Azerbaijan are in Grozny, working jointly with representatives of the General Prosecutor’s Office and the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation.
“Specialised services from Russia, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan are closely cooperating at the crash site near Aktau.”
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