Russian President Vladimir Putin has finally taken responsibility for his country’s air defenses accidentally downing an Azerbaijani jetliner in late December 2024. That prohibition was tragically tested when 38 people died in this single, terrible incident. An Embraer 190, operated by Azerbaijani Airlines, was shot down by Russian artillery. This was occurring as the plane tried to make an emergency landing on western Kazakhstan.
On Christmas Day, the mostly empty passenger jet was en route from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny, capital of the Chechen Republic. As it came in to land, an unexpected force hit the plane. The crash killed 38 of the 67 people onboard, leading to significant outrage and concern in Azerbaijan. Putin announced that Russian air defences were shooting down a Ukrainian drone. They wrongly shot down the airliner due to a “technical malfunction.” Two missiles exploded within 10 metres (33 feet) of the aircraft, bringing it down in a ball of fire.
The outpouring incident has greatly exacerbated what was a mostly friendly relationship between Moscow and Baku. At a recent summit of the former Soviet Union in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, Putin had to offer his soulful apologies to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. He described the event as a “tragic incident.” He stopped short of taking full responsibility for the violent event.
“The Russian side will obviously do everything to provide compensation and give legal assessment to all responsible officials’ action.” – Vladimir Putin
Putin promised to act against those responsible and provide support for the families of the victims. He acknowledged the limitations of his words, stating, “Of course, these words related to this tragedy, aimed at supporting – morally supporting – the families do not solve the main problem: we can’t bring back to life those who died as a result of the tragedy.”
The crash has prompted fresh questions about the effectiveness of Russian air defenses. This all comes against the backdrop of escalating hostilities with Ukraine, including drone strikes penetrating deep into the heart of Russian territory. The president of Azerbaijan thanked Putin for taking the initiative to discuss the issue at hand.
“I would like to thank you for keeping the situation under your personal control.” – Ilham Aliyev
Given the seriousness of the undertaking, it was inspiring to hear both leaders speak optimistically about a future grounded in collaboration. Aliyev stated that their discussion covered a “broad and positive” bilateral agenda and expressed optimism that “the messages we are sending today to our societies will meet a positive response.”