The Kremlin on Thursday dismissed claims that Russian forces were responsible for shooting down an Azerbaijani Airlines passenger jet, which crashed in Kazakhstan on December 25, killing 38 people. 

Azerbaijan has repeatedly urged Russia to accept responsibility for the incident, which occurred near Grozny, the capital of Russia’s Chechnya Republic.  

 
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has maintained that the jet was “shot at from the ground” while attempting to land in Grozny. “Guilt lies with Russia,” Aliyev declared earlier this week, accusing Moscow of “concealing” the true cause of the disaster.  
 
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, speaking on Thursday, neither confirmed nor denied the allegations. “We are interested in an objective and impartial investigation to establish the causes of this catastrophe,” Peskov said, adding that Russian specialists are cooperating fully with the inquiry.  
 
Russia has acknowledged that its air defenses were active at the time, repelling Ukrainian drones, but has stopped short of admitting to targeting the Azerbaijani plane.  
The crash has strained relations between the two allies. Aliyev has accused Moscow of mishandling the investigation and demanded accountability.  
 
“This was a criminal act,” Aliyev said earlier this week, calling for those responsible to be punished. He also expressed anger over what he described as delayed air defense measures in Grozny, claiming they were only implemented after the plane had been hit.  
 
Aliyev further stated that the plane was “riddled with holes” and that preliminary findings from Azerbaijan’s investigation indicate it was accidentally struck by a Russian air defense missile.  
 
Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly called Aliyev twice since the incident. According to the Kremlin, Putin expressed regret that the crash occurred over Russian airspace. However, the Kremlin’s account of the conversations does not include any admission of responsibility.  
 
The ongoing investigation will likely play a critical role in determining accountability and easing tensions between Moscow and Baku. Both nations are awaiting the final results to establish the definitive cause of the tragedy.