Voicing regret for a “tragedy,” Russian President Vladimir Putin has admitted Russia’s fault in the 2024 downing of an Azerbaijani airliner that killed 38 people. This first-time admission came after ten months of strained silence, during a meeting with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev.
The Russian leader explained the fatal incident as an unintended outcome of a defensive military action. He stated that missiles were launched at Ukrainian drones, which then exploded in fatal proximity—”meters away”—to the passenger jet, causing the crash on December 25, 2024.
The flight, which departed Baku for Grozny, met its tragic end in Kazakhstan. The 38 fatalities and Russia’s lack of transparency have caused a significant diplomatic fallout, turning a once-warm relationship into one of deep suspicion and resentment.
President Aliyev did not accept the admission quietly, accusing Moscow of a deliberate attempt to “hush up” its role in the affair. This charge, delivered at the summit in Dushanbe, indicates that the path to restoring normal relations will be arduous.
As a gesture of goodwill, Putin pledged that Russia would fulfill its obligations. He promised “adequate compensation” would be delivered to the families affected by the tragedy and assured Aliyev that a legal review would be conducted to hold the responsible officials accountable.