Russia, Putin admits responsibility for Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash

Moscow (Russia), 9 October (LaPresse) – Russian President Vladimir Putin has admitted for the first time Russia’s responsibility in the crash of the Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane that crashed on 25 December 2024. Speaking during a meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in the Tajik capital, Dushanbe, where both are attending a summit of former Soviet countries, Putin said that responsibility lies with Russian air defences. The plane was flying from Baku to Grozny, the regional capital of the Russian republic of Chechnya, and 38 of the 67 people on board were killed in the accident. According to Azerbaijani authorities, the plane was accidentally hit by Russian air defence fire and then attempted to land in western Kazakhstan, where it crashed.