In their first meeting since a period of diplomatic cooling, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev held talks in Dushanbe, where Putin presented the details surrounding the crash of an AZAL aircraft.
Putin stated that Russia would provide a legal assessment of the actions of all officials involved and would do everything necessary to offer compensation for the incident.
He expressed condolences to the victims' families, adding that he had only recently received the full information. According to Putin, the crash was partially caused by the presence of a Ukrainian drone in the area at the time and by malfunctions in Russia’s air defense systems.
He explained that two missiles were launched but did not directly strike the plane; they detonated roughly 10 meters from it, possibly due to self-destruction mechanisms, causing damage from shrapnel. Pilots were reportedly offered to land in Makhachkala but declined.
Putin expressed hope that cooperation between Moscow and Baku would continue in a spirit of alliance.
Aliyev, in turn, thanked Putin for the detailed explanation and noted that the meeting sent positive signals to both sides.
He highlighted that bilateral relations had developed successfully across all areas, especially in trade, and that recent intergovernmental meetings covered a wide agenda. He added that their current talks reinforced a shared positive and comprehensive agenda.
The aircraft incident had previously strained Russia–Azerbaijan relations, with Baku accusing Moscow of intentional strikes and targeting of Azerbaijani assets.
