Part 2/5:
In a significant gesture, Russian President Vladimir Putin offered an apology to his Azerbaijani counterpart following what he termed a "tragic incident." This apology came in light of the crash that resulted in the loss of 38 lives in Kazakhstan. However, while acknowledging the unfortunate event, Putin refrained from directly admitting any responsibility on behalf of Moscow.
The president's comments were accompanied by a Kremlin statement that detailed how air defense systems were engaged at Grozny airport while the airliner was attempting to land. Notably, the statement did not explicitly connect Russian fire with the downing of the aircraft, leaving room for ambiguity in the official narrative.