Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged that Russian air defense systems damaged the Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane that crashed in Kazakhstan on 25 December 2024, killing 38 people - his first admission of Russian responsibility after months of denials.
The acknowledgment comes 10 months after Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev publicly accused Russia of shooting down the Embraer 190 and demanded Moscow admit guilt, pay compensation, and hold those responsible accountable.
The incident has severely damaged Baku-Moscow relations, with Azerbaijan suspending flights to multiple Russian cities, closing Russian cultural centers, and threatening to take the case to international courts - moves that mirror the decade-long legal battle over Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, which Russian forces shot down over Ukraine in 2014.
During a meeting with Aliyev in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, Putin claimed Russian air defense was tracking three Ukrainian drones when it fired two missiles that "exploded several meters from the aircraft." He insisted the plane was damaged "most likely by shrapnel, not combat elements," and suggested technical malfunctions in the air defense system may have caused the erroneous launch.
Putin also said the crew was offered landing in nearby Makhachkala, Russia, but decided to proceed to Kazakhstan - contradicting earlier reports that Russian authorities denied the damaged aircraft emergency landing permission at multiple Russian airports.
"Our duty is to give an objective assessment of everything that happened and name the real cause. Everything that needs to be done in such tragic cases will be done from the Russian side - including compensation," Putin said, according to Russian state media.
Azerbaijan rejected Russian explanations for months
The Embraer 190 was flying from Baku to Grozny on 25 December when it sustained damage near Grozny, where Ukrainian drones had attacked military facilities that morning. The plane crashed while attempting an emergency landing in Aktau, Kazakhstan. Of the 67 people aboard, 38 died and 29 survived.
Russian authorities initially blamed bird strikes and weather, but video evidence showing shrapnel holes in the tail section contradicted those claims. The US confirmed intelligence indicating Russian air defense was responsible.
Aliyev called original Russian explanations "delusional" and said Azerbaijan knows exactly what happened. He rejected Russian proposals to send black boxes to Moscow's Interstate Aviation Committee, insisting they go to Brazil, where the aircraft was manufactured.
The diplomatic crisis has accelerated Azerbaijan's pivot away from Russia. In May 2025, Aliyev declined to attend Moscow's Victory Day parade, while Azerbaijan has strengthened ties with Ukraine, potentially providing military assistance including MiG-29 fighters.