Vladimir Putin called his Azeri counterpart on Saturday and apologised for a plane crash that took place in Russian airspace, according to the Kremlin, but did not claim responsibility for the incident which killed 38 of those on board.

The jet came down near the Kazakh city of Aktau on Wednesday, killing 38 of the 67 people on board, after attempting to land at its destination in the Russian city of Grozny and then diverting far off course across the Caspian Sea.

Statements by Azerbaijani officials suggest Baku believes the plane was hit mid-air, while the US has said it had "early indications" Russian air defence may have been responsible for the crash. 

Russia has previously said that Grozny was being attacked by Ukrainian drones that day.

Putin told his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev that Russian air defence was active when the Azerbaijani Airlines plane tried to land in Grozny.  

Meanwhile, the European Union's top diplomat on Saturday called for a "swift, independent" probe into the Azerbaijan Airlines crash, after the US suggested the incident may have been caused by a Russian anti-aircraft missile.

"I call for a swift, independent international investigation," Kaja Kallas, the EU's foreign affairs chief, wrote on social media platform X. 

She said the incident was a "stark reminder" of the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, which was shot down by a surface-to-air missile fired by Russia-backed rebels over eastern Ukraine in 2014.

"Our thoughts are with the families and friends of the victims. I wish for a speedy recovery to the injured," Kallas said.