US spokesman John Kirby indicated that Russia may be responsible for the downing of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed on December 25, killing 38 people. The plane reportedly came under fire from Russian air defense systems while attempting to land in Chechnya. Azerbaijan's transport minister mentioned 'external interference' in the incident, while investigations are ongoing. The Kremlin has not commented on the allegations, and Azerbaijan is calling for an international inquiry. Full article (bbc.com europe)