President Vladimir Putin has expressed apologies for the ‘tragic incident’ involving an Azerbaijani plane that crashed in Russian airspace, resulting in 38 fatalities. The Kremlin confirmed that air defense was in operation at the time of the crash to counter Ukrainian drones, but it did not specify if the Azerbaijani aircraft was hit. Azerbaijani officials suggested the crash may have been caused by an external weapon, a theory supported by U.S. officials. Azerbaijan Airlines cited ‘external physical and technical influence,’ while passengers reported hearing explosions.