Dushanbe: Russian Presidency said on Thursday that causes of the Azeri plane (AZAL airlines) crashed in December 2024 became clear after thorough surveillance of the tragic incident circumstances.
According to Kuwait News Agency, the Kremlin stated that President Vladimir Putin, during a meeting with his Azeri counterpart Ilham Aliyev in Dushanbe, affirmed that the plane might have been hit with shrapnel from the blast of a missile unleashed by the Russian defense forces. This missile was targeting a Ukrainian plane flying in the region at the same time.
Two missiles were unleashed but did not hit the target, Putin noted, adding that the crew was notified to land at Makhachkala but chose to return to the takeoff airport.
Russia will conduct a legal assessment of the actions of the concerned officials and will provide compensation to the victims' families, according to the official statement.
The ill-fated aircraft was en route from Baku to Grozny when it crashed on the morning of December 25 last year near a town in Kazakhstan, resulting in the deaths of 38 people.
The official statement also mentioned that Putin apologized to the Azeri president for the tragic incident.