President Vladimir Putin has stated that Ukrainian drones were responsible for the deadly crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane in 2024, during a meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.
Putin explained that AZAL flight 8243 was damaged after Russian air defenses tracked three drones crossing the Russian border the night of the crash. One of the drones was still airborne when the plane was struck. He also noted technical malfunctions in Russia’s air defense system, with missiles fired but failing to hit the plane directly. The plane was likely struck by debris from the missiles rather than by submunitions, which would have caused immediate catastrophic damage.
The crash occurred in December 2024 near Grozny, Russia. The Embraer 190 aircraft attempted to divert but ultimately crashed-landed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, killing 38 people and injuring 29 others. Putin assured that Russia would fulfill its compensation obligations to the victims' families and promised a full legal assessment of those involved.
Aliyev thanked Putin for the information and expressed confidence in the investigation's objectivity. Azerbaijan has been preparing a lawsuit against Russia for its role in the tragedy, although the Kremlin has called for a complete investigation before proceeding with any legal actions.
Putin explained that AZAL flight 8243 was damaged after Russian air defenses tracked three drones crossing the Russian border the night of the crash. One of the drones was still airborne when the plane was struck. He also noted technical malfunctions in Russia’s air defense system, with missiles fired but failing to hit the plane directly. The plane was likely struck by debris from the missiles rather than by submunitions, which would have caused immediate catastrophic damage.
The crash occurred in December 2024 near Grozny, Russia. The Embraer 190 aircraft attempted to divert but ultimately crashed-landed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, killing 38 people and injuring 29 others. Putin assured that Russia would fulfill its compensation obligations to the victims' families and promised a full legal assessment of those involved.
Aliyev thanked Putin for the information and expressed confidence in the investigation's objectivity. Azerbaijan has been preparing a lawsuit against Russia for its role in the tragedy, although the Kremlin has called for a complete investigation before proceeding with any legal actions.
