Putin: Russian Air Defenses Shot Down Azerbaijani Jet
Investigation Continues into Embraer Jet Incident Over Caspian Sea
Details of the Incident
An Embraer jet flying from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny, Chechnya, Russia, sustained meaningful damage in an incident over the Caspian Sea. The aircraft, despite being riddled wiht holes in its fuselage-as noted in a preliminary Kazakh government report published in February-managed to fly approximately 450 kilometers after the event.
Russian President Vladimir Putin explained on Thursday that the damage wasn’t caused by a direct hit from two launched missiles. Rather, he stated the damage likely resulted from debris created when the missiles self-destructed approximately 10 meters from the aircraft. This explains why the pilot initially reported a collision with a flock of birds to Russian air traffic controllers, a report corroborated by the plane’s “black boxes.”
Initial Reactions and Ongoing Investigation
The incident prompted strong reactions from Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev, who publicly criticized what he perceived as initial attempts by Moscow to downplay the cause of the crash. Aliyev expressed his concerns directly to Putin.
Putin acknowledged the need for a thorough investigation,cautioning that a complete understanding of the crash’s causes “probably take some more time.” He personally assured Aliyev that he was monitoring the investigation’s progress. Aliyev thanked Putin for prioritizing the issue following their meeting.