Kyiv Independent
Russian President Vladimir Putin admitted that Russian air defenses launched missiles toward an Azerbaijani airliner before it crashed in Kazakhstan last December, state news agency TASS reported on Oct. 9.
The Russian leader claimed that two missiles exploded a few meters away from the plane, which was then hit by fragments. He “partly” linked the incident to an alleged sighting of a Ukrainian drone in the area.
Putin made the comments during a meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Dushanbe, where leaders gathered for a regional summit.
The two presidents are holding talks at the Kohi Somon residence after months of tense relations between Russia and Azerbaijan.
