Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the factors contributing to the AZAL plane crash during a meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. He highlighted several issues that played a role in the tragic event.

According to Azerbaijan State News Agency, Putin identified the presence of a Ukrainian drone in the airspace as one of the key factors. He noted that three drones had entered Russian Federation territory overnight, coinciding with the day of the incident. Additionally, he pointed to technical malfunctions in Russia’s air defense system as a contributing factor.

Putin clarified that although two missiles were launched, they did not directly hit the aircraft. He stated that if a direct hit had occurred, the plane would have crashed immediately. Instead, the damage was attributed to debris from the missiles rather than fragments from their warheads.