A ‘Tragedy’ of Errors: Putin’s Account of the Azerbaijan Jet Downing

President Vladimir Putin has provided his official account of the downing of an Azerbaijani jet in 2024, describing it as a “tragedy” born from a series of errors during an anti-drone operation. This is the first time the Russian leader has acknowledged his country’s involvement in the crash that killed 38 people.
During a meeting in Dushanbe, Putin told his Azerbaijani counterpart, Ilham Aliyev, that Russian missiles were responsible. He explained that the intended targets were Ukrainian drones, which he claimed detonated just “meters away” from the passenger plane, leading to the fatal outcome.
The crash on Christmas Day 2024 has been a source of significant diplomatic friction. The Azerbaijan Airlines flight from Baku to Grozny went down in Kazakhstan, and the subsequent lack of transparency from Moscow has severely damaged its credibility with Baku.
The account was met with a charge of a cover-up from President Aliyev, who asserted that Russia had tried to “hush up” the incident. This tense exchange highlights the deep divisions that have emerged between the two nations since the tragedy occurred.
In an effort to move forward, Putin pledged that Russia would provide “adequate compensation” to the families of the victims. He also promised a legal review of the officials responsible, a gesture aimed at demonstrating accountability for the catastrophic mistake.