Will Russia Compensate for the Azerbaijani Jet Crash?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Russian missiles may have contributed to the crash.
- President Putin has promised compensation to the victims' families.
- The incident raises questions about air defense systems.
- Investigation findings will be crucial for accountability.
- The crash resulted in significant loss of life, highlighting aviation safety concerns.
Moscow, Oct 10 (NationPress) Explosions from Russian missiles may have contributed to the crash of an Azerbaijani passenger aircraft in December, prompting compensation commitments from Russian President Vladimir Putin. During a meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, Putin elaborated on the incident, noting that Russia was monitoring three Ukrainian drones at the time and suggested that 'technical failures' in Russia's air defense system could have played a role in the tragedy.
According to Putin, two missiles detonated close to the aircraft, potentially activating their self-destruction features, leading to the damage that caused the crash, as reported by Xinhua. He mentioned that black box data revealed the pilot was advised to land in Makhachkala, Russia, after a suspected bird strike but opted to return to the base and subsequently head to Kazakhstan.
Putin emphasized that the Russian government will fulfill its obligations in light of this unfortunate incident, which includes compensation payments and a thorough legal review of the actions taken by relevant officials.
President Aliyev expressed gratitude to Putin for his personal involvement, assuring that the investigation would be conducted without bias.
The crash involved an Embraer 190 aircraft operated by Azerbaijan Airlines, Flight J2-8243, which was traveling from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny, Russia. The aircraft went down near Aktau, Kazakhstan, on December 25, 2024, resulting in the loss of 38 lives among the 67 passengers.