Topic: Grozny

Russian President Vladimir Putin issued an apology to Azerbaijan following the crash of a passenger aircraft in Russian airspace, though he stopped short of taking full responsibility. The Kremlin claims Russian air defenses were active in the Grozny region to repel Ukrainian combat drones at the time of the incident. Azerbaijan officials and international experts point to shrapnel damage on the fuselage as evidence of a missile strike, leading to suspended flights to several Russian cities.