Dushanbe: Japanese influential NHK TV broadcast a reportage on Russian President Vladimir Putin admitting that Russia was responsible for the shooting down of an Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) plane last year.
According to Azerbaijan State News Agency, the reportage details that President Vladimir Putin acknowledged Russia’s role in the incident, which resulted in the death of 38 individuals. Putin described the event as a “tragedy,” attributing it to technical failures in the Russian air defense system.
Putin’s admission came during a meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, held on the sidelines of a summit of former Soviet nations in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan. The plane was en route to southern Russia when it crashed in western Kazakhstan on Christmas Day, with 67 people aboard.
During the meeting, Putin explained to President Aliyev that two Russian missiles detonated approximately 10 meters from the aircraft following the incursion of Ukrainian drones into Russian airspace. He clarified that the aircraft was not damaged by warheads but by missile debris.
The acknowledgment by Putin is seen as an effort to mend relations with Azerbaijan, as President Aliyev had previously held Moscow accountable for the crash.