Russia's Vladimir Putin elected to admit that Russian air defenses ultimately caused the December 25, 2024, downing of an Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190, killing 38 different people. He told Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev in Dushanbe that missiles fired at a Ukrainian drone detonated near the aircraft as it approached Grozny. Putin pledged both his government's accountability in the situation and financial compensation.

The aircraft in question diverted and ultimately crashed near Aktau in Kazakhstan. Earlier investigations into the incident noted that foreign metal objects found in the wreckage were consistent with a missile explosion near or with the aircraft. This admission follows months of Russian ambiguity and Azerbaijani criticism of a cover-up of the situation. European an

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