Putin admits Russian missiles downed Azerbaijan airlines flight last year
Putin promised compensation for Azerbaijan Airlines crash victims after Russian missiles downed the plane amid Ukrainian drone incursions
Russian President Vladimir Putin told Azerbaijan’s leader that two Russian missiles had detonated beside an Azerbaijan Airlines plane last year after Ukrainian drones entered Russian airspace, and promised compensation to those affected.
Flight J2-8243, en route from Baku to the Chechen capital Grozny, crash-landed on December 25, near Aktau in Kazakhstan after diverting from southern Russia, where Ukrainian drones were reported to be attacking several targets.
At least 38 people were killed.
Video footage on Thursday showed Putin and Aliyev shaking hands and smiling before a bilateral meeting in Tajikistan, at which Putin spoke about the plane crash.
Putin last year issued a rare public apology to Aliyev for what the Kremlin called a “tragic incident” over Russia, in which the plane crashed after Russian air defences were deployed against Ukrainian drones.
On Thursday, he went further.