The 2024 Azerbaijan plane crash and Russia’s response do not exist in a vacuum; they are shadowed by a history of similar air disasters and varied state responses. How Russia handles this incident will be compared to infamous precedents.
Cases like the 1988 downing of Iran Air Flight 655 by the USS Vincennes, or the 2014 shooting down of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over Ukraine, offer starkly different models. The U.S. eventually paid compensation but never formally apologized, while Russia has consistently denied involvement in MH17.
Putin’s admission of fault is a significant departure from the MH17 playbook of complete denial. By acknowledging Russia’s role, he has chosen a path of accepting responsibility, at least in part. This is a rare move for a major military power.
However, the ten-month delay and the accusation of a cover-up from Azerbaijan place Russia’s response in a more ambiguous light. It lacks the swiftness and transparency that is now expected under international norms.
As the legal review and compensation process unfold, the world will be watching to see where on this historical spectrum Russia’s actions will ultimately fall. Will it be a model of accountability, or another chapter in a long history of states evading the full consequences of their military errors?