Putin shared information that the presence of a Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle in the airspace may have been one of the causes of the plane crash. According to the president, two air defense missiles exploded near the passenger plane, and debris likely struck the aircraft.
The Russian president recalled that he had previously apologized for the tragic events that occurred in Russian skies and reiterated his deepest condolences to the families and friends of the victims. Putin assured that Moscow is providing maximum assistance in the investigation into the circumstances of the crash and promised that the Russian side will take all necessary steps to pay compensation for the tragedy.
"It is our duty, I repeat, as we agreed from the very beginning, to provide an objective assessment of everything that happened and to announce the true cause," the Russian leader emphasized during his meeting with the Azerbaijani leader.
It should be recalled that the Embraer 190 airliner, en route from Baku to Grozny, crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, on December 25 of last year. The reason for the plane's diversion and stay in the area was the inability to land in Grozny due to a drone attack. The crash killed 39 of the 67 people on board, including seven of the sixteen Russian citizens.