Ukraine-Russia war latest: Putin apologises over Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash – but does not admit fault
Azerbaijan says the plane had multiple holes in its fuselage and that the occupants had sustained injuries ‘due to foreign particles penetrating the cabin mid-flight’
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Your support makes all the difference.Vladimir Putin has apologised to his Azerbaijani counterpart over a plane crash in Russian airspace that left dozens dead - but refused to acknowledge Moscow’s possible responsibility for the incident.
Flight J2-8243 crashed on Wednesday in a ball of fire near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan after diverting from southern Russia where Ukrainian drones were reported to be attacking several cities. At least 38 people were killed while 29 survived.
The US has suggested that Russia could be responsible for the downing of the plane, while sources in Azerbaijan claimed Russian air defence missiles hit the plane.
“Vladimir Putin apologised for the tragic incident that occurred in Russian airspace and once again expressed his deep and sincere condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to the injured,” the Kremlin said in a statement.
The UK has now called for an independent investigation into the downing of the plane.
It comes as the US said North Korean troops fighting alongside Putin’s forces in the Russian border region of Kursk were killing themselves to avoid Ukrainian capture.
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The UK has called for an independent investigation into the downing of an Azerbaijani plane thought to have been caused by a Russian missile.
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.
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U.S. officials say the United States is expected to announce it will send another $1.25 billion in military assistance to Ukraine
Zelensky urges China to put pressure on North Korea over aid to Russia
Zelensky urges China to put pressure on North Korea over military aid to Russia
Volodymyr Zelensky has urged China to put pressure on North Korea if it “is sincere in its statements that the war should not expand.” In an address on Friday, 27 December, the Ukrainian president said North Korean troops deployed in Russia's Kursk region are "suffering many losses." "They are doing everything to make it impossible for us to capture Koreans - they are being killed by their own people... And the Russians send them to the frontlines so that they have minimal defence," he added.
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Russia says it has radically expanded its visa ban list for EU officials in response to new sanctions
Russia’s Foreign Ministry said on Saturday it had responded to a new package of European Union sanctions by significantly expanding a list of EU and EU member state officials banned from entering Russia.
The European Union on Monday imposed a 15th package of sanctions against Russia, including tougher measures against Chinese entities and more vessels from Moscow’s so-called shadow fleet.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement it had responded by adding more unnamed “representatives of security agencies, state and commercial organisations of EU countries, and citizens of EU member states responsible for providing military aid to Kyiv” to its stop list.
Putin apologise for Azerbaijan plane crash but does not take responsibility
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday apologised to his Azerbaijani counterpart for what he called a “tragic incident” following the crash of an Azerbaijani airliner in Kazakhstan that killed 38 people, but stopped short of acknowledging that Moscow was responsible.
Putin‘s apology came as allegations mounted that the plane had been shot down by Russian air defenses attempting to deflect a Ukrainian drone strike near Grozny, the regional capital of the Russian republic of Chechnya.
An official Kremlin statement issued Saturday said that air defense systems were firing near Grozny airport as the airliner “repeatedly” attempted to land there on Wednesday. It did not explicitly say one of these hit the plane.
The statement said Putin apologised to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev “for the fact that the tragic incident occurred in Russian airspace.”
Zelensky speaks to Azerbaijan’s Aliyev about plane crash
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said he expressed condolences to Azerbaijan’s president Ilham Aliyev about the Azeri plane that crashed in Kazakhstan and which Azeri sources have told Reuters is believed to have been shot down by Russian air defences.
“The key priority now is a thorough investigation to provide answers to all questions about what really happened. Russia must provide clear explanations and stop spreading disinformation,” Mr Zelensky said in a statement on X after the call.
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