Putin admits Russian air defense opened fire at Azerbaijani airliner in 2024
Russian President Vladimir Putin admitted that Russian air defenses launched missiles toward an Azerbaijani airliner before it crashed in Kazakhstan last December, state news agency TASS reported on Oct. 9.
The Russian leader claimed that two missiles exploded a few meters away from the plane, which was then hit by fragments. He "partly" linked the incident to an alleged sighting of a Ukrainian drone in the area.
Putin made the comments during a meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Dushanbe, where leaders gathered for a regional summit.
The two presidents are holding talks at the Kohi Somon residence after months of tense relations between Russia and Azerbaijan.
The Azerbaijan Airlines plane, traveling from Baku to Grozny in Chechnya, crashed in Kazakhstan on Dec. 25, 2024, after being suddenly forced to change course.
Earlier investigations concluded that the plane was downed by Russian air defenses, leading to the deaths of 38 of the 67 people on board.
During his talks with Aliyev, the Russian president offered condolences and said that Moscow will conduct a legal assessment of the steps taken by officials involved in the incident.
Putin said that Russia was "tracking" three Ukrainian drones that crossed into Russian airspace on that day.
The Kremlin's chief also claimed that he learned about these details two days ago and said the investigation into the incident is nearing completion. Russia will take all necessary steps regarding compensation, he added.
The Azerbaijani president thanked Putin for providing information on the case and "personally" overseeing the investigation, TASS reported.
Putin's statement comes as a rare admission of responsibility for the incident that led to a sharp deterioration of ties between Baku and Moscow.
Shortly after the incident, Aliyev accused Russia of causing the crash and blasted Moscow for not admitting guilt, suppressing evidence, and promoting "absurd versions" of events.
The meeting between Putin and Aliyev follows their Oct. 7 phone call, their first publicly known conversation since March.
In recent months, Russia carried out drone strikes in Ukraine targeting sites linked to Azerbaijani companies, while Azerbaijan shuttered Russian propaganda outlets and detained Russian citizens.
Baku also canceled Russian cultural events and accused Russian police of torturing two Azerbaijani nationals who died in custody in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg in June.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
