Thu Oct 09 14:18:13 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary and a news article based on the provided text:
**Summary:**
President Vladimir Putin has promised Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev that Russia will provide compensation for the downing of an Azerbaijani passenger plane in December 2024, which killed 38 people. Russia now acknowledges its air defenses mistakenly struck the aircraft after Ukrainian drones entered Russian airspace. This commitment was made during a meeting in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, aimed at repairing strained relations between the two countries following the incident. Putin also pledged an objective assessment of the events.
**News Article:**
**Putin Promises Compensation for Downed Azerbaijani Plane**
*DUSHANBE, Tajikistan* – Russian President Vladimir Putin has pledged to compensate Azerbaijan for the accidental downing of an Azerbaijani Airlines passenger plane last December, a tragedy that claimed 38 lives and strained relations between the two nations. The commitment came during a meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Dushanbe on Thursday.
Putin acknowledged that Russian air defense missiles were responsible for the incident, stating they detonated near the plane after Ukrainian drones entered Russian airspace. The Azerbaijani jet, en route from Baku to Grozny, crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, after a failed emergency landing attempt.
“Of course, everything that is required in such tragic cases will be done by the Russian side on compensation,” Putin told Aliyev. He also promised an “objective assessment” of the circumstances surrounding the crash.
Azerbaijan had previously accused Russia of denying the distressed aircraft permission to land in Russian territory, forcing the pilots to attempt the ill-fated landing in Kazakhstan.
Aliyev thanked Putin for his attention to the investigation. While the incident led to months of strained ties, Putin emphasized Baku’s role as a “reliable” ally and noted ongoing cooperation on security and defense matters. This meeting marked their first face-to-face discussion in a year, signaling a potential thaw in relations.
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