Putin Admits Russian Missile Downed Azerbaijani Plane, Killing 38 People
MOSCOW – Russian President Vladimir Putin has admitted that a Russian missile, not a flock of birds as initially reported, downed an Azerbaijani Airlines plane in January, killing all 38 people on board. The admission, made during a meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, marks a critically important shift in Moscow’s account of the incident and follows accusations from Baku of a cover-up.
The downing of the aircraft on January 9th sparked diplomatic tensions between the two historically close nations. The incident occurred amidst heightened regional security concerns, and the initial explanation of a bird strike was quickly met with skepticism. Putin pledged compensation for the victims’ families and stated that a legal assessment of the actions of all officials involved would be conducted.
“I thank President Putin for providing detailed information about the tragedy,” read an official statement released by the Kremlin following the meeting.
Previously, Aliyev had publicly accused Russia of attempting to conceal the true cause of the crash. Russian aviation authorities initially claimed the plane altered course to avoid a bird strike. this version of events is now under scrutiny following Putin’s revelation.
The admission comes after weeks of strained relations. Russia and Azerbaijan share close ties stemming from their shared history as former Soviet states and strategic interests in the energy sector. The crash threatened to destabilize this relationship.
Putin also offered an apology to Azerbaijan, though stopped short of explicitly accepting responsibility. He stated that “tragic cases like this” necessitate compensation and a full legal review of the actions taken by officials.