Russia admits responsibility for Azerbaijan Airlines crash at end of 2024
Russian President Vladimir Putin officially acknowledged on Thursday his country’s responsibility for the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane at the end of 2024. Speaking alongside Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, Putin confirmed that the aircraft was hit by debris from Russian anti-aircraft missiles.
The Embraer 190, operating a flight between Baku and Grozny, crashed on December 25, 2024, after attempting to divert to Kazakhstan, killing 38 of the 67 people on board. Initially, Moscow denied direct involvement, attributing the incident to “unfortunate coincidence.”
Putin explained that Russian air defenses were active that day due to Ukrainian drone incursions over Grozny. “The missiles did not hit the plane directly but exploded nearby, around ten meters away,” he said. The explosion caused the plane to disintegrate from the missile debris.
The Russian leader pledged financial compensation to the victims’ families and announced a full investigation into the decisions of those involved. Ilham Aliyev welcomed Russia’s acknowledgment, describing it as a “positive step” toward restoring trust between Moscow and Baku.
The 2024 tragedy had strained relations between the two countries, leading to mutual diplomatic and media restrictions. Thursday’s meeting marked the first encounter between the two leaders since the crash.
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