Day: October 9, 2025

Putin – Aliyev meeting in Dushanbe
Putin apologized for the “tragic incident” and pledged compensation for the victims.
#SouthCaucasus  #Putin  #Aliyev
During a meeting in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, on October 9, 2025, Russian President Vladimir Putin publicly admitted for the first time that Russian air defenses were responsible for shooting down an Azerbaijani civilian airliner in December 2024.
Key points from the meeting
Accident details: The crash of the Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) flight on December 25, 2024, killed 38 of the 67 people on board. The plane was flying from Baku to Grozny and crash-landed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, after being damaged.
Cause of the crash: Putin explained that two Russian missiles, fired to intercept Ukrainian drones that had entered Russian airspace, detonated near the aircraft. He specified that the missiles did not directly strike the plane but exploded several meters away.
Compensation and investigation: Putin committed to providing compensation to the victims’ families and announced that a legal review of the actions of all involved officials would be conducted.
Easing tensions: The admission and apology came after months of strained relations between Baku and Moscow following the incident. Previously, Russia had only offered condolences, and Azerbaijan had blamed Russia for the crash.
Other topics: The leaders also discussed broader bilateral relations and cooperation during the meeting, held on the sidelines of a summit of former Soviet nations.
Context of the meeting
Setting: The meeting took place in Dushanbe, where both leaders were attending a summit of former Soviet nations.
Strained relations: The accidental downing of the plane had significantly strained ties between Russia and Azerbaijan, which had also been impacted by other issues in 2025, including arrests of Russians in Azerbaijan.
Previous meeting: This was the first face-to-face meeting between the two leaders in almost a year. Their last major in-person meeting was in October 2024, though they had spoken by phone since the crash.

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— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Oct 9, 2025