Russian President Vladimir Putin admitted on Saturday that Russia’s air defense systems were active when Azerbaijan Airlines flight J2-8243 attempted to land in Grozny, Chechnya on Wednesday.

Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday apologised to Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev over the tragic plane crash that killed nearly 38. In an official statement on Saturday, the Kremlin said its air defense systems were firing near Grozny due to a Ukrainian drone strike,

The Kremlin in a statement said that Russia’s air defence system was firing against the Ukrainian drone strike near Grozny, where the plane attempted to land

Russian President Vladimir Putin has apologized to his Azerbaijani counterpart for what he called a “tragic incident” following the crash of an Azerbaijani airliner in Kazakhstan that killed 38 people.

Russian President Vladimir Putin apologized to Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev after an Azerbaijani airliner crashed in Kazakhstan, killing 38 people. The crash linked to Russian air defense during a Ukrainian drone strike has sparked international controversy about its cause.

The Kremlin has said that Putin "apologized for the tragic incident" and expressed his "deep and sincere condolences" the the victims' families.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday apologized to his Azerbaijani counterpart for what he called a “tragic incident” following the crash of an Azerbaijani airliner in Kazakhstan that killed 38 people.

Russia's Vladimir Putin on Saturday apologised to Azerbaijan's president for a "tragic incident" which happened in Russian airspace involving an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane that crashed after air defences were used against Ukrainian drones.

Putin apologized for the “tragic incident” that occurred in Russian airspace, but the Kremlin did not take responsibility for downing the Azerbaijan Airlines flight.