Russia's head of aviation Dmitry Yadrov claimed a Ukrainian drone attack was underway in Grozny before the plane crashed.

Azerbaijan Airlines has suspended flights to multiple Russian airports in the wake of a deadly plane crash, which it attributed to "physical and technical external interference."

Russia's federal air transport regulator states that the Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 which crashed after diverting to Aktau had made two unsuccessful attempts to land at Grozny, the flight's original destination.

Vladimir Putin apologized Saturday after the US and Azerbaijan accused Russia of shooting down a passenger plane, killing 38 people.

Early indications suggest Russian anti-aircraft system may have downed a passenger jet in Kazakhstan, confusing it for a drone. Investigations are ongoing to determine the cause of the crash.

Experts say evidence in the Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash in Kazakhstan points to a possible midair explosion, not an encounter with a flock of birds.

Azerbaijan Airlines flight J2-8243 caught fire as it tried to make an emergency landing in Aktau, southwestern Kazakhstan, on Wednesday. It was traveling from the Azeri capital Baku to Grozny, the capital of the Russian republic of Chechnya.

Russia and Kazakhstan have tried to calm speculation about the cause of the Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash, following claims that it was shot down by Russian air defence systems. On Thursday, Moscow urged calm as its foreign minister said it would be wrong to draw conclusions before an investigation into the crash was complete.

Russian President Putin apologised to Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev amid claims that the passenger jet was accidentally shot down by Russian air defences

The track record tells you what Moscow’s word is worth on the crash of Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243.

Russian President Vladimir Putin apologized to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev over the December 25 Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash that claimed 38 lives, the Kremlin’s press service reported.