In what is being called the Dushanbe declaration, Russian President Vladimir Putin formally admitted to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev that Russia was involved in the 2024 plane crash that killed 38 people. The historic admission took place during a bilateral meeting at a summit in Tajikistan’s capital.
For the first time, Putin offered an official explanation for the tragedy of December 25, 2024. He stated that Russian air defense missiles had been deployed to intercept Ukrainian drones, which subsequently exploded “meters away” from the Azerbaijan Airlines passenger jet, causing its fatal crash. He referred to the event as a “tragedy.”
The flight, which originated in Baku and was headed to Grozny, was carrying 67 people. After being struck, it crashed in Kazakhstan, leading to 38 fatalities. For ten months, Azerbaijan has awaited a formal acknowledgment from Russia, a period marked by deteriorating diplomatic ties.
President Aliyev used the opportunity to voice his country’s deep-seated frustration, accusing Moscow of a deliberate attempt to “hush up” the incident. This public criticism underscores the fragility of the relationship, which has been damaged not only by the crash but also by subsequent arrests and disputes.
In response to the gravity of the situation, Putin made two key pledges. He promised that Russia would take all necessary steps to provide compensation to the victims and that a legal review would be conducted into the actions of the officials responsible for the fatal error.