Overview

• Putin said two surface-to-air missiles detonated about 10 meters from the Embraer 190 while targeting Ukrainian drones, with fragments likely damaging the aircraft.
• He described the event as a technical malfunction in Russia’s air-defense system rather than a direct hit on the jet.
• Thirty-eight of the 67 people aboard died after the Baku–Grozny flight diverted and crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, on December 25, 2024.
• Russia will compensate victims and seek punishment for those responsible, according to Putin’s pledge at the bilateral meeting with Ilham Aliyev.
• The admission overturns earlier Russian explanations such as a bird-strike claim and reflects Azerbaijan’s demands for acknowledgment, accountability, and reparations.