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Putin Says Russian Missiles Didn’t Hit Azerbaijani Passenger Jet in 2024—They Just Exploded Nearby
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![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
Russian leader Vladimir Putin said that the two surface-to-air missiles launched by Russia’s air defenses “did not hit” the AZAL passenger plane directly but “detonated a few meters away,” according to state media outlet TASS on October 9.
Putin made the remarks during a meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Tajikistan, commenting on the crash that claimed dozens of lives.
“Two missiles launched by Russia’s air defense system did not hit the AZAL aircraft directly, but detonated a few meters away,” Purtin said.
He also claimed the disaster was partly caused by the presence of a Ukrainian drone in the sky at the time.
According to TASS, Putin said Russia’s air defense system “was tracking three Ukrainian drones that crossed the Russian border” on the day of the tragedy.
Earlier, Azerbaijani investigative reporters uncovered the identities of several Russian military officers involved in the December 2024 shootdown of a civilian airliner near Grozny, shedding new light on a tragedy that claimed 38 lives.
The newly identified personnel were on active combat duty at the time a Pantsir-S1 surface-to-air missile was launched at Azerbaijan Airlines flight 8432.
The aircraft, an Embraer ERJ-190, was en route from Baku to Grozny when it was struck over Russian territory.
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