EMBARRASSED Vladimir Putin made a cheeky apology today after a Russian missile shot down a passenger plane.
In a telephone conversation with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, the tyrant said a rare “sorry” for the accident that killed 38 people.
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Vladimir Putin apologizes for the crash of the Azerbaijani plane Credit: Alamy
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A drone view shows emergency responders working at the crash siteCredit: Reuters
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Putin’s air defenses disabled the plane which then crashedCredit: East2West
But despite the apology, Vlad continued to avoid taking responsibility for the disaster on Christmas Day – instead just saying he was sorry it happened in his airspace.
He described the crash as a “tragic incident” – but admitted that Russian air defenses were active as the plane approached.
The 72-year-old insisted that his troops were repelling Ukrainian drones attacking the Russian territory of Chechnya.
And the Kremlin has confirmed that it has launched its own criminal investigation into the crash.
It is understood that Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 was hit by an air defense missile while landing in the Russian city of Grozny after taking off from Baku, Azerbaijan.
Putin’s forces have also been accused of jamming the plane’s systems and refusing permission for the damaged plane to make an emergency landing in Russia.
The hero pilots fought bravely in their crippled passenger jet – managing to cross the Caspian Sea before crashing to the ground near Aktau International Airport in Kazakhstan.
But their efforts managed to save the lives of 29 of the 67 people on board – although both died in the horrific accident.
The aircraft is believed to have been shot down by the newly installed Pantsir-S air defense system after it was mistaken for a drone.
Statements by Azerbaijani officials indicate that Baku believes the plane was hit “from outside” while in the air over Grozny.
Anti-Putin militants say the tyrant could be ousted in days like Bashar al-Assad
Aliyev told Putin in the call that the plane had been subjected to “extraordinary physical and technical interference.”
Russia instead tried to blame the accident on a “bird strike”.
Meanwhile, the US said it had “early indications” that Russian air defenses may have been responsible for the crash.
The crash is a chilling echo of the MH17 disaster – in which Russian-backed rebel forces shot down the Boeing 777, killing 298 people.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky blamed Putin for spreading “disinformation” about the crash.
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He said: “We observed the heroism of the pilot and the entire crew of the aircraft.
“The key priority now is a thorough investigation to answer all questions about what actually happened.
“Russia must give clear explanations and stop spreading disinformation.
“Photos and videos clearly show damage to the fuselage, including holes and dents that strongly resemble an anti-aircraft missile attack.”
In a statement about the phone call, the Kremlin said: “A detailed discussion was held about the December 25 crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan.
“Vladimir Putin apologized for the fact that the tragic incident took place in Russian airspace.
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Putin pictured with Azerbaijani leader Ilham Aliyev in 2020 Credit: Reuters
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The investigation is ongoing – but Russia is the main suspect in the accidentCredit: AFP
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About 29 passengers and crew members survived the miraculous escape Credit: Getty
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The plane was shot down over Russia – before that it was fighting in KazakhstanCredit: Reuters
“Once again, he expressed his deepest and most sincere condolences to the families of the victims, and wished the injured a speedy recovery.
“During the conversation, it was established that the Azerbaijani passenger plane, which strictly followed the planned route, tried to land at the Grozny airport several times.
“At that time, Grozny, Mozdok and Vladikavkaz were under attack by Ukrainian combat drones, and Russian air defense systems repelled these attacks.”
Investigators from all the countries involved have arrived at the crash site as they try to piece together the plane’s final minutes.
They found a black box from the doomed flight that revealed the chilling last words spoken by the pilot just moments before the plane crashed to the ground.
Struggling to control the plane, one of the pilots said, “I can’t execute, control is lost!”
The pilots tried to take the plane to three different airports but were unable to land.
They lost communication with the ground crew before disappearing from radar for 37 minutes.
Footage has emerged showing terrified passengers making final video calls and leaving messages as the craft began to sink.
Distraught people on board can be seen jumping from their seats as they try to make sense of the situation.
As oxygen masks dangled in the air, some passengers began to scream in terror, while others called their loved ones and began to pray.
The Kremlin continued: “The Investigative Committee of Russia opened criminal proceedings under Article 263 of the Criminal Code.
“The first investigations are underway, and civilian and military specialists are also being questioned.
“There are currently two employees of the Prosecutor General’s Office of Azerbaijan in Grozny who work together with representatives of the Prosecutor General’s Office and the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation.
“Specialized services from Russia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan are working closely together at the accident site near Aktau.”
Miraculous survivors discover the plane’s final moments
By James Halpin
SURVIVORS of plane crashes on Christmas Day discovered the final moments of the crashed plane shot down by Russia from their hospital beds.
Passengers on Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8432 said they heard loud bangs as the plane came in to land in Chechnya.
The nightmare journey killed 38 people on board – but only after the noise made passengers fear the plane might “disintegrate” in mid-air did the plane flee Russia.
Survivor Vafa Shabanova said: “About 20 or 30 minutes after take off, we felt two explosions.
“The plane was supposed to land, but it didn’t. Twice something exploded inside.”
Speaking from his hospital bed, passenger Subhonkul Rakhimov said: “When the first explosion happened, I looked (around), quickly assessed the situation and thought the plane was going to break up.
“A few more seconds passed, but it didn’t disintegrate.”
“The flight attendants immediately entered the cabin (and started telling the passengers): ‘What are you doing, don’t get up under any circumstances, everyone quickly return to your seats, everyone sit down, everyone calm down, everything is fine. , everything will be fine. stabilize’.”
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Categories: Optical Illusion
Source: HIS Education