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The UK has called for an independent investigation into the downing of an Azerbaijani plane thought to have been caused by a Russian missile
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The UK foreign office has criticised Russia after President Vladimir Putin apologised to his Azerbaijani counterpart over a plane crash in Russian airspace that left dozens dead.
Mr Putin said he was sorry “for the fact that the tragic incident occurred in Russian airspace” during a call with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev on Saturday.
But Mr Putin stopped short of admitting Russian responsibility for the crash, which killed 38 people.
In response, a spokesperson for the UK foreign, commonwealth and development office demanded a full independent investigation into what happened.
A spokesperson said: “President Putin’s statement fails to recognise that the reckless and irresponsible actions of the Russian state pose an acute and direct threat to the interests and national security of other states.”
Flight J2-8243 crashed on Wednesday in a ball of fire near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan after diverting from southern Russia where Ukrainian drones were reported to be attacking several cities. At least 38 people were killed while 29 survived.
The US has suggested that Russia could be responsible for the downing of the plane, while sources in Azerbaijan claimed Russian air defence missiles hit the plane.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte says the military alliance will step up patrols in the Baltic Sea area as Finnish investigators work to establish whether a ship linked to Russia sabotaged undersea cables there this week
Moscow’s Federal Security Service has arrested four Russians accused of helping plan the attack
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has sent more than 10,000 soldiers to help Russia, according to Kyiv and Seoul
Ukraine is facing an array of issues heading into 2025, underscored by anxiety about what the re-election of Donald Trump could mean for the country’s future. Tom Watling speaks to politicians, military experts and aid workers to discover what next year could hold
The UK has called for an independent investigation into the downing of an Azerbaijani plane thought to have been caused by a Russian missile.
A spokesperson for the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: “Our thoughts are with all those affected by this incident, including the family and friends of those who have died.
“President Putin’s statement fails to recognise that the reckless and irresponsible actions of the Russian state pose an acute and direct threat to the interests and national security of other states.
“We call for a full and independent investigation.”
Both US officials and an Azerbaijani minister have blamed the crash on Russian air defences responding to a Ukrainian drone attack.
U.S. officials say the United States is expected to announce it will send another $1.25 billion in military assistance to Ukraine
Volodymyr Zelensky has urged China to put pressure on North Korea if it “is sincere in its statements that the war should not expand.” In an address on Friday, 27 December, the Ukrainian president said North Korean troops deployed in Russia’s Kursk region are “suffering many losses.” “They are doing everything to make it impossible for us to capture Koreans – they are being killed by their own people… And the Russians send them to the frontlines so that they have minimal defence,” he added.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry said on Saturday it had responded to a new package of European Union sanctions by significantly expanding a list of EU and EU member state officials banned from entering Russia.
The European Union on Monday imposed a 15th package of sanctions against Russia, including tougher measures against Chinese entities and more vessels from Moscow’s so-called shadow fleet.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement it had responded by adding more unnamed “representatives of security agencies, state and commercial organisations of EU countries, and citizens of EU member states responsible for providing military aid to Kyiv” to its stop list.
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