UK demands independent investigation into Azerbaijan Airlines crash

The downing of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane in Kazakhstan killed 38 people.

This image from video released by the administration of the Mangystau region of Kazakhstan, shows the wreckage of Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 on the ground near the airport of Aktau, Kazakhstan, Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2024 — Russian air defences have been blamed for downing an Azerbaijan Airlines flight on Christmas Day (Administration of the Mangystau Region via AP)

The UK has called for an independent investigation into the downing of an Azerbaijani plane thought to have been caused by a Russian missile.

President Vladimir Putin apologised “for the fact that the tragic incident occurred in Russian airspace” during a call with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev on Saturday.

In an official statement, the Kremlin said Russian air defences had been firing in the vicinity of Grozny, the regional capital of the Russian republic of Chechnya, at the time the Azerbaijan Airlines plane passed through the area.

But Mr Putin stopped short of admitting Russian responsibility for the crash, which killed 38 people.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev attend a meeting with railway industry veterans and workers to mark the 50th anniversary of the Baikal-Amur Mainline (BAM) construction at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Monday, April 22, 2024 — Russian President Vladimir Putin apologised to Azerbaijani leader Ilham Aliyev for the ‘tragic incident’, but did not admit responsibility (Gavriil Grigorov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

A spokesperson for the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: “Our thoughts are with all those affected by this incident, including the family and friends of those who have died.

“President Putin’s statement fails to recognise 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.

“We call for a full and independent investigation.”

Both US officials and an Azerbaijani minister have blamed the crash on Russian air defences responding to a Ukrainian drone attack.

The aircraft had been travelling from Azerbaijan’s capital, Baku, to Grozny when it turned towards Kazakhstan, where it subsequently crashed after reportedly being refused permission to land in Russia.

Some of the 29 passengers and crew who survived the crash told Azerbaijani media that they heard loud noises on the aircraft as it was circling over Grozny.

Mr Aliyev’s office said the Azerbaijani President had told Mr Putin the crash had been caused by “external physical and technical interference”, but did not explicitly blame Russia for the crash.

The Kremlin said Russia had launched a criminal probe into the incident, assisted by “relevant services” from Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.