Several independent sources and experts have previously pointed out Russia as responsible for the plane crash that occurred on Christmas Day last year. Putin has previously apologized to Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev for the "tragic event", but has not taken responsibility for it. But at a regional summit in the Tajik capital Dushanbe, he now says that Russian air defense was behind the downing, writes AP.
The plane from Azerbaijan Airlines is said to have been hit by what was initially identified as a Russian air defense missile in the airspace over Grozny in the Russian republic of Chechnya. There were speculations that the shooting had taken place in connection with Russia's attempt to shoot down Ukrainian drones, something Putin now confirms in a conversation with Aliyev, according to AFP.
Despite the pilots' distress call, the plane was not allowed to land in Russia, but was ordered to fly over the Caspian Sea to Aktau in Kazakhstan, where the plane crashed.
Putin says that Russia will "do everything" to compensate for what happened and promises that the downing will be investigated.
