Russia admits shooting down Azerbaijan Airlines jet

Russian President Vladimir Putin admitted that Russia's air defenses were responsible for shooting down an Azerbaijan passenger jet on December 25, 2024, which killed 38 people. The incident occurred when Russian missiles, intended to target a Ukrainian drone, exploded near the Azerbaijan plane as it was preparing to land in Grozny, Russia — Chechnya. This admission was made during a meeting with Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Vladimir Putin pledged to punish those responsible and provide compensation to the victims' families. Initially, Ilham Aliyev had criticized Russia for attempting to 'hush up' the incident, which had strained relations between Russia and Azerbaijan. The plane, an Embraer 190, was on a flight from Baku to Grozny and attempted an emergency landing in western Kazakhstan after being hit.