**Putin Apologizes for Azerbaijan Airline Crash**
US President Joe Biden said Russian President Vladimir Putin‘s apology over the deadly crash of an Azerbaijani airline appears to acknowledge Moscow’s responsibility for the disaster. The plane was flying from Baku to Grozny in Russia when it crashed in Kazakhstan on December 25, killing 38 people.
**Russia’s Role in the Crash**
Biden noted that Putin called his Azerbaijani counterpart, Ilham Aliyev, to apologize without commenting on whether the plane was hit by Russian air defenses. However, US officials believe the aircraft was damaged while flying over Russia.
**Investigation and Reactions**
The White House said it saw signs of the airliner being shot down by Russian air defenses. Azerbaijan’s Transport Ministry also stated that the plane was subjected to “external interference” as it attempted to land in Grozny. The Kremlin claimed the plane made multiple attempts to land during a Ukrainian drone attack, which was reportedly repelled by Russian air defenses.
The UK Foreign Office called for an investigation of the disaster and criticized Putin’s apology, saying it fails to acknowledge Russia’s responsibility.
**Other Developments**
In separate news, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed condolences to the families of victims and the people of South Korea following a tragic plane crash that killed at least 176 people.
Ukraine’s accession to NATO remains on the agenda but is not a top priority for diplomatic efforts. Russia launched 10 drones from Crimea and six S-300/S-400 missiles targeting Ukraine, according to reports.
Azerbaijan will change its rules for temporary Russian citizen stays in response to stricter rules announced by Russia.
**Recent Incidents**
This comes after US officials officially classified an American schoolteacher jailed in Russia on drug charges as wrongfully detained. Several major Russian news outlets had their Telegram channels blocked across the European Union countries.
The domestic drone industry “reached unprecedented production volumes” in 2024, according to reports.
**Update: Sea Sparrows**
Russia’s updated anti-extremism strategy names Ukraine among the main sources of extremism and enshrines the concept of “Russophobia” for the first time.