Overview

• Putin said two Russian air-defense missiles exploded near an Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 during a drone interception over Grozny, citing a technical malfunction and pledging compensation.
• The December 25, 2024 crash killed 38 people and cooled ties with Baku, and both Putin and President Ilham Aliyev signaled a desire to repair relations.
• Overnight, Russia launched more than 450 drones and about 30 missiles against Ukraine, hitting energy facilities and causing extensive outages including on Kyiv’s left bank.
• Ukrainian officials reported civilian casualties, including a 7-year-old killed in Zaporizhzhia, as energy crews began damage assessments, restoration work, and urged gas conservation where networks were struck.
• Moscow described the barrage as a massive strike on energy assets tied to Ukraine’s military-industrial base, and the European Parliament approved a non-binding resolution calling for an EU anti-drone shield and tighter sanctions on Russia and its facilitators.