Aliyev conveyed to Putin that the Azerbaijani plane was hit in Russia by "external physical interference"

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin today that the Azerbaijani plane, which crashed in Kazakhstan, was hit in "Russian airspace" due to "external physical interference", supporting claims that it was the action of Russian air defense.

"The head of state emphasized that the numerous holes in the fuselage of the plane, the injuries suffered by passengers and crew members, as well as the testimonies of the surviving flight attendants and passengers, confirm the evidence of external physical and technical interference," the Azerbaijani presidency said in a report on the telephone conversation between Aliyev and Putin.

Earlier, the Kremlin announced that Putin spoke by phone with his Azerbaijani counterpart and apologized to him for what it said was a "tragic incident" following the crash of an Azerbaijani airliner in Kazakhstan that killed 38 people.

An official Kremlin statement today said air defense systems were operating near Grozny on Wednesday due to a Ukrainian drone attack, but did not specifically say that any of them had hit the Azerbaijani plane.

The "Embraer 190" plane of the "Azerbaijan Airlines" company was flying from the capital of Azerbaijan, Baku, to the Russian city of Grozny on Wednesday, when it was diverted for still unclear reasons. It crashed while trying to land in Aktau, Kazakhstan, after flying east across the Caspian Sea. 38 people died, while 29 survived the fall, but all were injured.

American officials and the Azerbaijani minister in separate statements yesterday blamed foreign weapons for the downing of the plane.

In a telephone conversation with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev, Putin stated that "the plane of the Azerbaijani company tried several times to land at the airport in Grozny (in Russia). At the same time, Grozny, Mozdok and Vladikavkaz were under attack by Ukrainian combat drones, and the Russian air defense repelled those attacks," the Kremlin said.

Since Wednesday's crash, suspicions have focused on Russia and the possibility that it accidentally shot down the plane.

In addition, several Western experts believe that photographs showing a riddled fuselage indicate the possibility of a missile strike.

Although he did not admit Russia's responsibility today, Putin apologized to Aliyev.

"Vladimir Putin has apologized for the fact that this tragic incident took place in Russian airspace," the Kremlin said.