Russia’s president is said to have blamed birds or a Ukrainian drone for a Dec. 25 crash of an Azerbaijani plane. Azerbaijan says Russian air defenses were at fault.

Azerbaijan Airlines flight J2-8243 was traveling from the Azerbaijani ... incident occurred in Russian airspace,” but did not accept responsibility. Putin said Russia’s air defense systems were active when the plane attempted to land in Grozny ...

The Kremlin has declined to state that Russian forces were responsible for downing the Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 on December 25, 2024. Russia acknowledged that its air defense systems were active at the time of the incident to shoot down Ukrainian drones but has stopped short of saying it brought down the aircraft.

Europe warns its airlines to stay away through next summer, as Ukraine turns skies of western Russia into a battlefield.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk accused Russia on Wednesday of planning acts of sabotage worldwide that included “acts of air terror” against airlines. Tusk spoke at a news conference in Warsaw alongside Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency warned airlines to steer clear of several cities in Russia following the fatal crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger jet that was likely shot down by Russian forces.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev accused Russia of "an attempt to hush up" the downing of an Azerbaijan Airlines jet last month.

The European Aviation Safety Agency issued a bulletin warning airlines against flying over western Russia due to the risk of being shot down.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk alleged on Wednesday that Russia is planning acts of sabotage worldwide, including "acts of air terror" targeting airlines. Speaking at a news conference in Warsaw alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Tusk emphasized the seriousness of the threat.