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Aliyev offers apology to Putin over downed Russian helicopter

Azerbaijani President asked to extend his condolences to the relatives and friends of those killed and also wished a speedy recovery for the injured pilot

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev Vadim Savitsky/Russian Defense Industry Press Office/TASS

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev

© Vadim Savitsky/Russian Defense Industry Press Office/TASS

BAKU, November 10. /TASS/. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in a phone conversation with Russian leader Vladimir Putin made an apology in connection with the downing of Russia’s Mi-24 helicopter in the sky over Armenia, his press service said.

"President Aliyev asked to extend his condolences to the relatives and friends of those killed and also wished a speedy recovery for the injured pilot," the statement said.

On Monday, the Russian Defense Ministry informed that a Russian Mi-24 helicopter had been downed over Armenia near the border with Azerbaijan. Two crew members were killed and another one was injured. According to the ministry, the helicopter was shot down from a man-portable air-defense system outside the Nagorno-Karabakh combat actions zone. Azerbaijan later claimed responsibility for the crash, informing that its Armed Forces downed the Russian helicopter by mistake and offering to pay damages.

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Vladimir Putin Azerbaijan

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