Zelensky and Putin called Aliyev: the first expressed condolences, the second apologized but blamed Ukraine.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky expressed condolences to the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and the people of the country in connection with the tragedy of flight J2-8243 of 'Azerbaijan Airlines'.

He emphasized the heroism of the pilots and crew of the aircraft who became victims of the disaster and noted the importance of conducting a thorough investigation to establish all the circumstances of the tragedy.

Zelensky pointed out that Russia must provide accurate explanations and stop spreading disinformation. According to him, the damage to the fuselage of the aircraft, in particular, holes and dents, indicate a possible strike by an anti-aircraft missile.

Before their conversation, Russian President Vladimir Putin apologized to Ilham Aliyev for the disaster but added that the incident occurred in Russian airspace when Russian air defense was repelling an attack by Ukrainian drones on a local airport in the Chechnya region.

However, the Kremlin did not confirm that a Russian surface-to-air missile system was the cause of the disaster, although this version was considered in Azerbaijan.

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev emphasized that the disaster occurred due to external physical and technical obstacles in Russian airspace, leading to a complete loss of control over the aircraft. The Azerbaijani side also confirmed that Putin apologized for the tragedy but indicated the fault of Russian air defense.

Moreover, Putin stated that Russia has already launched a criminal investigation into the disaster, and Azerbaijani investigators are working in Grozny. Representatives of Russia, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan are also present at the crash site in Aktau.

The President of Ukraine expressed readiness to support Azerbaijan in this situation and called on other countries to join in providing assistance. Both leaders agreed to intensify bilateral contacts in the near future.

Recall: on December 25, a passenger aircraft Embraer E190AR of Azerbaijan Airlines crashed near the airport of the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan.