Putin Acknowledges Air Defense Activity After Azerbaijan Plane Crash

Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on Saturday that Russia’s air defense systems were operational when an Azerbaijan Airlines flight tried to land in Grozny, Chechnya, on Wednesday.

The aircraft was unable to land and was diverted eastward, ultimately crashing near Aktau, Kazakhstan, resulting in the deaths of 38 passengers and crew members.

The cause of the incident remains unconfirmed, although a U.S. official suggested to CNN on Thursday that preliminary evidence points to the possibility that a Russian anti-aircraft system might have been responsible for downing the plane. In his remarks, Putin did not confirm that Russian air defenses were responsible for hitting the plane.

Putin reportedly apologized to Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev for the tragic incident occurring in Russian airspace during a phone call, as noted by the Kremlin on Saturday. The Kremlin’s statement also mentioned that the plane made multiple attempts to land at Grozny airport. Simultaneously, the regions of Grozny, Mozdok, and Vladikavkaz were under attack by Ukrainian combat drones, which Russian air defenses were countering.

Russia’s Investigative Committee has initiated a criminal investigation into the disaster, according to the Kremlin’s statement.

On Friday, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha accused Russian media of spreading falsehoods about the crash’s cause, claiming that Moscow intentionally directed the damaged aircraft over the sea, possibly to hide evidence of their involvement.