Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday confirmed that the Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) Flight 8243 crash occurred while Russian air defense systems were pursuing two Ukrainian drones that had entered its airspace.
Speaking to reporters, Putin stated that the tragic incident unfolded amid an ongoing aerial security operation near Russia’s border regions. “The AZAL plane crashed as our air defense units were chasing two Ukrainian drones that crossed into Russian territory,” Putin said.
While details surrounding the crash remain limited, emergency teams have been deployed to the site, and investigations are currently underway to determine whether the drone activity directly contributed to the accident.
Authorities in both Russia and Azerbaijan have yet to issue official casualty figures or confirm the flight’s destination. The Kremlin has described the situation as “serious” and said more information will be shared once initial assessments are completed.
This marks one of the most severe aviation incidents involving civilian air traffic in Russian-controlled airspace since the escalation of cross-border drone attacks in recent months.
More updates are expected as the story develops.