ISTANBUL 

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday pledged to do everything necessary to provide compensation for last year’s crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) flight in Kazakhstan, which he linked to the presence of Ukrainian drones in Russian airspace.

“Of course, everything that is required in such cases, in such tragic cases, will be done on the Russian side in terms of compensation,” Putin said during a bilateral meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Tajikistan’s capital Dushanbe, according to the Kremlin.

Opening the talks in the Tajik capital, where the two leaders will take part in a Friday meeting of the Head of State Council of the Commonwealth of Independent States, Putin cited his earlier apology over the incident.

Putin said Russia is providing every possible assistance to the investigation into last December’s plane crash, adding that it will also provide a legal assessment of the actions of all officials in connection with it.

The investigation is nearly completed, he said, going on to link the crash in part to the presence of Ukrainian drones in Russian airspace on the night of the incident.  

Putin cites ‘technical failures’

The Russian president also cited the role of "technical failures" of his country's air defense system in the crash, saying that two missiles fired by Moscow at the time did not hit the plane directly, but rather exploded several meters from it.

"So the damage occurred, but not primarily from the warheads, but most likely from debris from the missiles themselves," he said, adding that it is their duty to provide an objective assessment of "everything that happened and identify the true causes."

Putin also said the pilots of the AZAL plane were advised to land in the Russian city of Makhachkala, but they chose to return to their home airport and then to Kazakhstan instead.

His explanation is based on briefings he received over the past two days, Putin said.

For his part, Aliyev thanked Putin for the information he provided on the crash, as well as for personally overseeing the investigation.

"And as we have repeatedly exchanged opinions with you, and members of our teams are constantly in contact, you are personally overseeing the progress of the investigation, and we had no doubt that it would objectively sort everything out," Aliyev was quoted as saying.

Baku and Moscow entered a “difficult period” in bilateral relations, as described by the Kremlin in July, after the AZAL plane crashed in Kazakhstan on Dec. 25, 2024, killing 38 of the 67 passengers and crew members on board.

Putin spoke on the phone with Aliyev three days after the crash, offering condolences and apologizing for the part of the incident having taken place in Russian airspace around Grozny Airport in Chechnya, across the Crimean Sea from Aktau, Kazakhstan.

In an interview with state TV channel AzTV a day later, Aliyev accused Russia of unintentionally shooting down the plane, urging Moscow to accept responsibility, punish those responsible, and provide compensation.

Aliyev said in July that Baku would "apply to international justice" over the crash and had also told Russia this. In response, the Kremlin said it is Azerbaijan's right if it decides to file a lawsuit against Moscow, and that Russia “will wait for official verdicts.”  

Bilateral ties

During the meeting, the first between the two presidents since last October, Putin also touched on bilateral ties, saying that trade and economic relations between Moscow and Baku have developed and continue to develop despite the issues surrounding the crash and subsequent developments.

"Last year, we grew by about 6%, and this year, trade turnover has already increased by over 16%. This is a very good indicator," he said.

He also voiced hope that their cooperation in the international arena will not only be restored, but will continue "in the spirit of our relationship, in the spirit of our alliance."

Aliyev said the roadmaps they approved for bilateral relations are being successfully implemented.

"A Russian-Azerbaijani intergovernmental commission (meeting) was also held relatively recently, where the co-chairs discussed in detail a wide range of issues, and not only trade and economic ones. And of course, today is a good opportunity to review our agenda once again," he said.