Azerbaijan's foreign ministry apologized to Russia and offered to pay compensation after a Russian Mil Mi-24 helicopter gunship was accidentally shot down by Azerbaijani forces near Nakhchivan, resulting in the deaths of two crew members and the injury of a third. Though the helicopter was shot down over Armenia near the border with Azerbaijan, Nakhchivan is not near the current clashes in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. According to Azerbaijani's foreign ministry, helicopters of the Russian Air Force "had not previously sighted in the area", and soldiers used a man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS) missile to bring down the aircraft at a low altitude in the dark. The foreign ministry also offered condolences to the friends and families of those killed in the incident.

While Azerbaijan military sources say that their soldiers decided to open fire on the aircraft amid high tensions with Armenia, the Russian Ministry of Defense stated that it will be launching its own investigation into the incident.

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