Calling it a “tragedy,” Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged on Thursday that Russian missiles were behind the 2024 downing of an Azerbaijani passenger plane. This is the first official admission from Moscow regarding the incident that killed 38 people ten months ago. The statement was delivered directly to Azerbaijan’s President, Ilham Aliyev, during a meeting in Tajikistan.
Putin provided a brief explanation for the catastrophic error, stating that Russian air defenses were engaged in intercepting Ukrainian drones. He claimed the drones exploded in very close proximity to the Azerbaijan Airlines flight, inadvertently causing it to crash. The admission confirms long-held suspicions from Azerbaijani authorities.
The disaster occurred on December 25, 2024, as the plane traveled from Baku to Grozny. After being hit, the aircraft diverted and attempted an emergency landing in Kazakhstan but crashed, killing 38 of the 67 souls on board. The event has cast a long shadow over Russo-Azerbaijani relations.
The confession from Putin was met with a pointed rebuke from President Aliyev, who criticized Russia for its prolonged silence and accused Moscow of an effort to “hush up” the affair. This public friction at the summit underscores the severe damage the incident has inflicted on their bilateral ties.
In a move toward reconciliation, Putin pledged to take concrete steps to address the fallout. He assured Aliyev that Russia would provide financial compensation to the victims’ families and would launch a legal investigation into the conduct of the responsible officials.