He claimed the Russian army detected two missile launches from Ukraine-controlled areas that hit the plane.
“Most likely, it was American Patriot systems or European, probably French,” Putin said. POLITICO could not independently verify his claims.
Putin refuted theories of “friendly fire” for the downing of the aircraft. “There are friend-or-foe systems, and no matter how many times the operator presses the button, our air defense systems would not have engaged,” Putin said.
“We only regret about our pilots,” he added.
Russia’s Investigative Committee reported collecting the remains and documents of deceased Ukrainian servicemen. Russia has sole access to the crash site.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday called for an international investigation into the crash. Kyiv said it couldn’t confirm the plane carried Ukrainian POWs. Ukrainian media initially reported that the Ukrainian Armed Forces downed the plane.
