Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that the causes of the Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) plane crash are connected to the presence of a Ukrainian drone in the sky, among other contributing factors. Speaking to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev during their meeting in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, Putin revealed that Russia had been tracking three Ukrainian drones that crossed its border on the day of the incident.
He clarified that the two air-defense missiles launched by Russian forces did not directly strike the AZAL aircraft but detonated several meters away, suggesting the plane was damaged by fragments rather than a direct hit. Putin added that the crew had been offered the option to land in Makhachkala but chose to continue to their home base.
The Russian leader confirmed that Moscow is fully cooperating with the investigation under existing bilateral agreements, promising a legal assessment of the actions of all involved officials and compensation for the victims. The Embraer 190 jet, en route from Baku to Grozny, crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, on December 25 last year, amid Ukrainian drone attacks targeting civilian infrastructure in Grozny and Vladikavkaz.
