In a dramatic and unexpected declaration, Russian President Vladimir Putin publicly confirmed a devastating military incident from last December: Russia shot down Azerbaijani passenger jet during a sensitive air defense operation near the Caucasus border.
Vladimir Putin. Pic: Sputnik/AP
The admission, delivered during a televised press briefing, finally provided the truth about the catastrophe that claimed civilian lives on Christmas Day . Putin’s statement marks an unprecedented level of transparency, identifying the missiles as having been fired by Russian air defenses to target an inbound Ukrainian drone. The president stated the incident resulted from a grave “error of judgment” by a regional anti-aircraft unit operating in a heightened state of readiness during the attempted drone interception.
“The two missiles that were launched did not hit the plane directly; if that had happened, it would have crashed on the spot, but they exploded, perhaps as a self-destruction measure, a few metres away, about 10m,” Mr Putin said.
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“And so the damage was caused, mainly not by the warheads, but most likely by the debris from the missiles themselves. That is why the pilot perceived it as a collision with a flock of birds, which he reported to Russian air traffic controllers, and all this is recorded in the so-called ‘black boxes’.”
During his meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, Putin vowed to prosecute the perpetrators and provide compensation to the victims. “It is our duty,” he stated. “to give an objective assessment of everything that happened and to identify the true causes.” President Putin warned it would “probably take some more time” to conduct a thorough investigation into the crash’s root causes.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev shakes hands with Mr Putin. Pic: Sputnik/AP
The tragedy occurred as the commercial airliner, carrying individuals, was flying from Baku and preparing for its final landing approach at the Grozny airport in the Russian republic of Chechnya. This confirmation that Russia shot down Azerbaijani passenger jet immediately contradicts initial claims that suggested mechanical failure or severe weather as the contributing causes of the disaster.
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The aftermath of the crash. Pic: AP
Pic: Reuters
Azerbaijani authorities initially stated the jet was hit by Russian air defenses. It subsequently attempted a landing in western Kazakhstan, resulting in a crash that killed 38 of the 67 people on board. Mr. Aliyev criticized Moscow for attempting to “hush up” the incident. However, on Thursday, he thanked Mr. Putin for personally monitoring the investigation’s progress, stating, “I would like to express my gratitude once again for the fact that you deemed it necessary to highlight this issue at our meeting.”
Putin expressed his deepest condolences to the victims’ families, acknowledging the immense pain and suffering caused by the long-standing uncertainty that followed the event. The confirmation that Russia shot down Azerbaijani passenger jet has immediately sparked renewed calls for comprehensive international investigations and demands for substantial financial compensation for the affected families in Baku.
The passenger jet, operated by Azerbaijan Airlines, disappeared from radar screens as it approached Grozny, confirming a direct strike by Russian ordnance. Following years of speculation and mixed official signals, the context surrounding the admission is critical: the incident involved a direct response to a military threat (the Ukrainian drone), yet resulted in a catastrophic civilian loss of life.
The global community is now demanding answers regarding the safety protocols for air defense systems operating near civilian flight paths, especially in conflict-adjacent areas.
This public admission that Russia shot down Azerbaijani passenger jet is expected to severely complicate diplomatic relations between Moscow and Baku, despite the historic ties between the two nations. Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs is expected to issue a formal, strong response demanding clarity on disciplinary actions taken against the personnel responsible for the disastrous operational failure.
Furthermore, the focus now pivots sharply toward accountability: specifically, which military commanders will be held responsible for the decision to fire the missiles near the civilian landing corridor, and why the anti-aircraft unit failed to correctly identify the commercial aircraft.
The scale of this revelation means that both the political and military consequences will be substantial and long-lasting, demanding greater scrutiny of military protocols for identifying civilian air traffic near sensitive border zones moving forward.
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