A SHAMED Vladimir Putin made a mealy-mouthed apology after a passenger plane is believed to have been shot down by a Russian missile.
Moscow state media reported that the tyrant expressed a rare “sorry” during a phone call with Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev regarding the crash that claimed the lives of 38 people.
Despite offering an apology, Vlad did not acknowledge blame for the Christmas Day tragedy, expressing regret only that it occurred within his airspace.
He described the crash as a “tragic incident” – and admitted that Russian air defences were active at the time of the approach by the plane.
The 72-year-old insisted his troops were repelling Ukrainian drones attacking the Russian region of Chechnya.
And the Kremlin confirmed they have launched a criminal investigation into the crash.
It is believed that Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 was struck by an air defense missile as it was attempting to land in the Russian city of Grozny after departing from Baku, Azerbaijan.
Putin’s forces have also been accused of jamming the plane’s systems and refusing the stricken aircraft permission to make an emergency landing in Russia.
Hero pilots bravely struggled on in their crippled airliner – managing to cross the Caspian Sea before plummeting to the ground near Aktau International Airport in Kazakhstan.
But their efforts managed to save the lives of 29 out of the 67 people on board – even as both of them died in the horrific crash.
The plane is believed to have been downed by a newly-installed Pantsir-S air defence system after it was mistaken for a drone.
Statements by Azerbaijani officials suggest Baku believes the plane was hit “externally” while mid-air over Grozny.
Aliyev told Putin in the call that the plane was subject to “extraneous physical and technical interference.”
Russia had instead tried to blame the crash on a “bird strike”.
Meanwhile, the US has said it had “early indications” that Russian air defence 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 a Boeing 777 killing 298 people.
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky blasted Putin for spreading “disinformation” about the crash.
It comes as:
He said: “We noted the heroism of the pilots and the entire crew of the aircraft.
“The key priority now is a thorough investigation that will answer all questions about what really happened.
“Russia must provide clear explanations and stop spreading disinformation.
“The photos and videos clearly show damage to the aircraft’s fuselage, including holes and dents that are very reminiscent of an air defense missile strike.”
In a statement on the phone call, the Kremlin said: “A detailed discussion was held regarding the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane on 25 December near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan.
“Vladimir Putin expressed his apologies for the fact that the tragic incident occurred in Russian airspace.
“He once again extended his deepest and most sincere condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to those injured.
“During the conversation, it was noted that the Azerbaijani passenger aircraft, which was strictly following its scheduled route, had made several attempts to land at the airport in Grozny.
“At the time, Grozny, Mozdok, and Vladikavkaz were under attack by Ukrainian combat drones, and Russian air defence systems were repelling these assaults.”
Investigators from all nations involved have descended on the crash site as they try to piece together the plane’s final minutes.
They found the black box of the doomed flight which revealed the haunting final words the pilot said just moments before the plane crashed on 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 failed to land.
They lost communication with the ground crew before vanishing off the radar for 37 minutes.
Footage emerged showing terrified passengers making final video calls and leaving messages as the aircraft began to plunge.
Distressed people on board can be seen jumping out of their seats as they try to make sense of the situation.
As the oxygen masks dangled in the air, some passengers started to scream in horror, while others called their loved ones and began praying.
The Kremlin went on: “The Investigative Committee of Russia has opened a criminal case under Article 263 of the Criminal Code.
“Initial investigative actions are underway, and both civilian and military specialists are being questioned.
“At present, two employees from the General Prosecutor’s Office of Azerbaijan are in Grozny, working jointly with representatives of the General Prosecutor’s Office and the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation.
“Specialised services from Russia, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan are closely cooperating at the crash site near Aktau.”
Miracle survivors reveal plane’s final moments
By James Halpin
SURVIVORS of the Christmas Day plane crash have revealed from their hospital beds the final moments of the doomed jet shot down by Russia.
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 on board – but only after the noises left travellers fearing the plane might “fall apart” mid-air and the plane fled Russia.
Survivor Vafa Shabanova said: “About 20 or 30 minutes after takeoff, we felt two explosions.
“The plane was supposed to land, but it didn’t. Something exploded inside twice.”
Speaking from his hospital bed, passenger Subhonkul Rakhimov said: “When the first bang happened, I looked (around), quickly assessed the situation, and I thought that the plane was going to fall apart.
“A couple more seconds passed, but it didn’t fall apart.”
“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 get back to your seats, everyone sit down, everyone calm down, everything is fine, everything will stabilize’.”
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