Vladimir Putin admitted Saturday Russian air defence was working when an Azerbaijani Airlines plane tried to land in Grozny before crashing, breaking the Kremlin's silence as speculation mounted Russia may have accidentally shot the plane. Despite not taking direct responsibility for the incident, “the fact that he (Putin) is in some way reacting ... shows that he wants to show that he is visible and present and concerned with trying to give reassurances”, FRANCE 24’s International Affairs Commentator Douglas Herbert said in an analysis, as he cited several airlines that had suspended flights to Russia following the plane crash.
