Ilham Aliyev said the jet that crashed this week, killing 38 of the 67 people onboard, was hit 'by accident' by Russia. On Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin apologized for the crash but stopped short of accepting that it might have been hit by Russian fire.

Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev says the Azerbaijani airliner that crashed last week was shot down by Russia, albeit unintentionally.

An Azerbaijan Airlines flight to the southern Russian town of Mineralnie Vody turned back to Baku on Friday after being told a chunk of airspace in southern Russia had been closed, Russia's TASS news agency reported.

Russian President Vladimir Putin apologized to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev over the December 25 Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash that claimed 38 lives, the Kremlin’s press service reported.

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.

The Azerbaijani flag carrier suspended its services from Baku Heydar Aliev International to Grozny and nearby Makhachkala shortly after the crash, but subsequently expanded the list to include eight other airports, namely: Mineralnye Vody, Sochi, Volgograd, Ufa, Samara Kurumoch, Saratov Gagarin, Nizhny Novgorod Strigino, and Vladikavkaz.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said on Sunday that the passenger plane that crashed in Kazakhstan killing 38 people had been damaged due to shooting from the ground in Russia, Azerbaijan state television reported.

MOSCOW/BAKU - President Vladimir Putin on Saturday apologized to Azerbaijan's leader for what the Kremlin called a "tragic incident" over Russia in which an Azerbaijan Airlines plane crashed after Russian air defenses were fired against Ukrainian drones.

Azerbaijani President Aliyev claimed a passenger plane crash that killed 38 was due to ground fire from Russia. He criticized Russian officials for providing false narratives about the incident, asserting that Russia should acknowledge its responsibility and punish those involved in the disaster.

Azerbaijan Airlines’ Embraer 190 was en route from Baku to the Russian city of Grozny when it was diverted for reasons yet unclear and crashed while making an attempt to land in Aktau in Kazakhstan.

Multiple shrapnel holes in the plane’s fuselage and its altitude at the time of incident contradict the bird theory. Azerbaijan accused Russia of hitting the passenger jet with a missile. The pilot did not decide to fly to Aktau;