Putin Disbursed A Tragic Accident Of Azerbaijan Plane, Starting From 2 Russian Missiles Intercept Ukrainian Drones

Azerbaijan Airlines plane crashed. (DOK via X/@MariamRobly)

JAKARTA - Russian President Vladimir Putin revealed the tragic crash of the Azerbaijan Airlines plane last year. Putin said two Russian missiles exploded beside the Azerbaijan Airlines plane after Ukraine's drone entered Russian airspace.

Putin promised compensation to those affected.

Flight J2-8243, on its way from Baku to the Chechen capital, Grozny, crashed on December 25, 2024 near Aktau in Kazakhstan after being diverted from southern Russia, where Ukrainian drones were reported to have attacked several targets.

A total of 38 people died as a result of the crash.

Video footage on Thursday showed Putin and Aliyev shaking hands and smiling before a bilateral meeting in Tajikistan, where Putin spoke of the plane crash.

Last year, Putin made a rare public apology to Aliyev for what the Kremlin called a "tragic incident" over Russia, in which the plane crashed after Russian air defenses were deployed to counter Ukrainian drones.

"Of course, everything necessary in such a tragic case will be carried out by the Russian side regarding compensation and legal assessments of all official matters will be given," Putin told Aliyev.

"It is our duty, I repeat once again, to provide an objective assessment of everything that happens and identify the real cause," said Putin.

Putin told Aliyev two Russian air defense missiles had exploded several meters from the plane after Ukrainian drones entered Russian airspace.

The Embraer jet had flown from the capital Azerbaijan, Baku, to Grozny, in the southern Russian Republic, where the incident occurred, and then traveled as far as 450 km (280 miles) across the Kaspia Sea in severe damage.

Aliyev was angry with the accident and publicly criticized the initial reaction from Moscow, which he said was trying to cover up the cause of the incident.