On Christmas Day, a tragic event unfolded in the skies when an Azerbaijan Airlines plane crashed, killing all 38 people on board. The aircraft, en route to Grozny, Chechnya, made an emergency landing near Aktau, Kazakhstan. Initially, Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency suggested that the plane crashed due to a bird collision. Later, they claimed that Ukrainian combat drones and dense fog forced the plane out of Russian airspace. However, experts noted unusual perforations on the plane's body, resembling shrapnel or debris damage. These marks led many, including a US official, to believe that the plane was downed by Russian air defense units.

Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev didn’t hold back, accusing Russia of being behind the incident and trying to cover it up. He pointed out that the plane was damaged over Russian territory and that electronic warfare systems caused it to lose control. Aliyev also mentioned that the plane's tail was severely damaged by ground fire. A Kazakhstan transport minister added to the confusion by mentioning an exploding oxygen tank in the plane’s cabin.

Russian President Vladimir Putin apologized for the incident happening in Russian airspace but stopped short of admitting fault. Aliyev pressed for a full apology and explanation from Russia, stating that the initial theories were absurd. He emphasized that the plane was downed accidentally and that Russia should take responsibility for the disaster.

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