Nearly a year after an aircraft accident that killed 38 passengers, Russian President Vladimir Putin now admits to some degree of responsibility for the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines flight. That flight, from Baku to Grozny disappeared from radar over the Caspian Sea on December 25, 2024 but has now been located crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan. It seemed at first to be an accident due to bad weather or a bird strike but is now linked to an accidental missile detonation by Russia’s air defense.
Drones, Defenses & Lethal Mistake
The revelation came after a meeting of Putin with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in a Tajikistani city. He said that Russian defense systems had responded regarding what they identified as the entry of Ukrainian drones into their airspace, but a system malfunction caused unintended fire of two missiles thus missiles did not hit the plane directly but exploded nearby about ten meters with scatter damage damaging the aircraft.
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According to Putin, the explosion was as a result of missile fragments and not a direct hit, which he indeed confirmed as technical failure in their defensive response.
Russian Air Defense Error Blamed for 38 Lives Lost
On December 25, 2024, an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane flying from Baku to Grozny crashed in the area near Aktau, Kazakhstan, killing 38 people. It seemed that while crossing the Caspian Sea, the aircraft disappeared from radar initial reports stated that the plane might have crashed due to conditions of poor visibility or a bird strike.
The investigations later revealed that the situation was more complicated Russian air defense missiles, aimed at Ukrainian drones in the area mistakenly shot down near the airplane fragments from those missiles damaged the airplane which caused a fatal crash. The incident generated diplomatic tensions and eventual partial recognition of blame by Russia.
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Diplomatic Fallout & Azerbaijan’s Response
After the crash, Azerbaijan sought answers and accountability fragments of a Russian Pantsir-S missile were found among the debris, heightening the suspicion of foreign interference.
Baku immediately closed a Russian backed research center, travel bans on some Russian officials were imposed and condemnatory rhetoric from Moscow was voiced. Aliyev had said that Russia owed both explanation and justice a demand now in part addressed by Putin’s statement and promise of compensation to the victim’s families.
That is certainly broad concern of regionality with respect to this responsibility issue and airspace management during military activities. Aliyev expressed appreciation for Putin’s personal involvement in investigating this among the two countries that are trying to redevelop trust, the international community will be watching over how to prevent the recurrence of such tragedies in future.
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