**Putin Expresses Condolences Over Tragic Plane Crash But Avoids Blame**

In a statement, Putin conveys sorrow over the incident but refrains from admitting fault, highlighting complexities of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has extended his apologies to Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev regarding the recent downing of an Azerbaijan Airlines aircraft that crashed on Christmas Day in Russian airspace, claiming 38 lives. While Putin described the event as a "tragic incident," he notably refrained from assigning responsibility to Russia.

This was the first official commentary from the Russian leader after a disastrous event that has sparked significant concern. Reports indicate that the aircraft was brought down as it was trying to land in Chechnya, prompting it to divert across the Caspian Sea and ultimately crash-land in Kazakhstan. This series of events unfolded while Russian air defense systems were on high alert, reportedly responding to Ukrainian drone strikes.

The Kremlin released a formal statement following a telephone conversation between Putin and Aliyev, where Putin expressed profound condolences to the victims' families and offered wishes for a quick recovery to the survivors. Prior to this contact, the Kremlin had remained silent on the incident, although Russian aviation officials had highlighted the heightened tensions and complexities in airspace safety due to ongoing military actions in the area.

Eyewitness accounts from survivors suggested the plane might have been targeted, with reports of loud explosions preceding the crash. Aviation experts in Azerbaijan indicated that the aircraft's GPS systems might have faced disruption from electronic jamming, leading to further complications as it encountered shrapnel originating from Russian missile defenses.

While Azerbaijan refrained from directly accusing Russia, its transport minister alluded to "external interference" affecting the aircraft, implying that it had faced both internal and external damage. U.S. defense officials have also indicated their belief that Russian forces bore responsibility for the downed flight.

During his discussions with Aliyev, Putin acknowledged that the Azerbaijan Airlines flight had made several attempts to land at Grozny airport amid the drone attacks and ensuing countermeasures by Russian air defenses. The Russian government has launched a criminal investigation into the incident, while Azerbaijan has concurrently announced its own inquiry, indicating the seriousness of these developments in the context of the broader conflict involving Ukraine.