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Russia has admitted its role behind the Kazakhstan plane crash. As per the statement issued by President Vladimir Putin, Russian air defence systems were firing near Grozny on Wednesday due to a Ukrainian drone strike.

While the Russian president did not openly say the defence systems hit the plane, Putin expressed his apology to Azerbaijan for the crash which killed 38 people.

On Christmas Day, an Azerbaijan Airlines plane crashed in Kazakhstan after it was rerouted away from its destination - Gronzy, Russia. The crash killed a total of 38 passengers who were on board. 29 survived.

"The Azerbaijani passenger aircraft, which was travelling according to its schedule, repeatedly tried to land at Grozny airport. At that time, Grozny, Mozdok and Vladikavkaz were being attacked by Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles, and Russian air defense systems repelled these attack,” said the Kremlin.

Following this official statement, the Russian President apologised to this Azerbaijani counterpart 0 Ilham Aliyev for the "tragic incident".

"(President) Vladimir Putin apologised for the tragic incident that occurred in Russian airspace and once again expressed his deep and sincere condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to the injured,” Kremlin added.

This is the first time Russia has responded with regard to the plane crash. This statement comes amid various theories regarding the reason behind the crash.

Azerbaijan Airlines Crash Kills 38

Azerbaijan Airlines plane, an Embraer (EMBR3.SA) passenger jet, was en-route from Baku to Grozny in Russia's Chechnya.

On Tuesday, deep inside Chinese Mongolia, the Harmanpreet Singh-led Men in Blue did just about enough to beat a spirited Chinese side. The occasion: the final of the Asian Champions Trophy 2024.

However, moments before landing, the plane was rerouted due to "dense fog." The plane crashed during an emergency landing near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan.

The plane was carrying a total of 67 passengers and five crew members. While 29 people survivedpera play, 38 passengers, including the flight crew, were killed in the crash.