In a significant diplomatic move, the Russian President Vladimir Putin formally acknowledged on Thursday, October 9, 2025, that the December 2024 crash of an Azerbaijani passenger jet, which killed 38 people, was caused by Russian air defense missile.
This marks the first time Russia has publicly accepted responsibility for the tragedy.
The admission came during a meeting between President Putin and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on the sidelines of a regional summit in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.
Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243, an Embraer 190, was travelling from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny, Russia, on December 25, 2024, with 67 people on board. The plane later crashed in Kazakhstan after sustaining damage.
President Putin explained that the Russian air defense system launched two missiles. He stated that these missiles did not directly strike the civilian aircraft but instead detonated close by, possibly due to a technical malfunction.
Speaking to President Aliyev, Putting provided the following details:
“The two missiles that were fired did not directly hit the aircraft. If that had happened, it would have crashed on the spot.”
He continued explaining that the missiles “exploded, perhaps via self-destruct, roughly at a distance of 10 meters. Thus, the aircraft was damaged not predominantly by direct warhead impact but rather by missile fragments.”
Putin noted that Russian forces were “tracking three Ukrainian drones that crossed the Russian Federation’s border on the day of the tragedy.
This public acknowledgement follows months of strained relations between Russia and Azerbaijan, with Baku previously accusing Moscow of attempting to “hush up” the incident.
President Aliyev reportedly thanked Putin for keeping the investigation under his personal control.
