Azernews.Az

President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin made a phone call to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, on December 28, Azernews reports, citing Azertag.

During the phone conversation, Vladimir Putin expressed his apologies for the tragic incident that occurred on December 25 when a passenger plane belonging to Azerbaijan Airlines, which was flying on the Baku-Grozny route, was subjected to physical and technical external interference in Russian airspace, and expressed his deepest and most sincere condolences to the families and loved ones of those who died in this accident, and wished a speedy recovery to those injured.

President Ilham Aliyev noted that the passenger plane of Azerbaijan Airlines was subjected to external physical and technical interference while in Russian airspace and completely lost control, was diverted to the city of Aktau, Kazakhstan, and was able to make an emergency landing only thanks to the bravery and professionalism of the pilots. The head of state emphasized that the presence of numerous holes in the fuselage of the plane, the injuries of passengers and crew members by foreign particles that penetrated the deck of the plane while still in the air, and the statements of the surviving flight attendants and passengers in this regard establish the fact of external physical and technical interference.

During the conversation, the heads of state discussed a serious and thorough investigation of all the details of this tragedy and the need to bring the perpetrators to justice.

President Ilham Aliyev said that, at the suggestion of the Azerbaijani side, a team of international experts was formed to thoroughly investigate the causes of this accident, and this team has already begun its activities.

The heads of state also emphasized that the investigation process initiated into the tragedy will be conducted in a fully transparent manner and the public will be informed on a regular basis.