On Christmas Day, Vladimir Putin acknowledged Russia’s involvement in the tragic downing of a commercial flight, an incident that shocked the world. The flight, a commercial Azerbaijani aircraft, was en route from Baku to Grozny when it was fatally struck, casting a shadow over the holiday season.
The crash, which took place on Christmas Day 2024, resulted in the loss of 38 lives, although 29 passengers survived the emergency landing attempt. According to Kazakhstani officials, the aircraft carried 42 Azerbaijani citizens, 16 Russians, six Kazakhs, and three Kyrgyz nationals.
Initially, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stated: “The information provided to me is that the plane changed its course between Baku and Grozny due to worsening weather conditions and headed to Aktau airport, where it crashed upon landing.”
Subsequent reports suggested that the plane was accidentally shot down by a Russian air defense system. President Putin has since confirmed these reports, clarifying that the incident was unintentional. He explained that the missiles were intended to intercept a Ukrainian drone, but instead detonated near the plane, causing it to crash.
Putin stated: “The two missiles that were launched did not hit the plane directly; if that had happened, it would have crashed on the spot, but they exploded, perhaps as a self-destruction measure, a few metres away, about 10m.” He added that the aircraft’s damage was likely due to missile debris rather than the warheads themselves, leading the pilot to mistake the incident for a bird strike, a detail captured in the ‘black boxes.’
During discussions with Azerbaijan’s president in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, Putin vowed to hold those responsible accountable and to provide compensation to the victims’ families. He noted, however, that fully understanding the circumstances would require additional time. He emphasized: “It is our duty to give an objective assessment of everything that happened and to identify the true causes.”