President Vladimir Putin publicly admitted that Russian air defenses were responsible for downing an Azerbaijani jetliner in December 2024, killing 38 people, after missiles targeting a Ukrainian drone exploded near the plane.

Speaking with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev in Tajikistan, Putin cited a technical malfunction and pledged to punish those responsible and provide compensation.

The crash had strained previously warm Moscow-Baku relations, which were further destabilized by prior ethnic tensions and arrests between the countries.

Both leaders expressed a desire to restore and strengthen bilateral cooperation, emphasizing trade, energy, and diaspora ties, the AP reports.

Putin also used his state visit to Tajikistan to reinforce Russia’s strategic and military partnerships with Central Asian nations.