Overview

• Speaking in Dushanbe with Azerbaijan’s Ilham Aliyev, Vladimir Putin gave his clearest account to date and pledged to punish those responsible.
• Putin said two Russian missiles exploded a few metres from Flight J2-8243, causing damage likely from debris rather than a direct hit.
• The Embraer 190 from Baku to Grozny diverted and crash-landed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, on Dec. 25, 2024, killing 38 of the 67 people aboard.
• A preliminary Kazakh report found external damage and fuselage holes, and Putin said black box data captured the crew’s report of an apparent bird strike.
• He cautioned that a full, objective investigation and legal assessment will take more time, as Aliyev acknowledged earlier frustration with Moscow’s initial response.