President Vladimir Putin’s admission raises the critical question of the burden of command: where does ultimate responsibility for the downing of the Azerbaijani jet lie? While a legal review may focus on the officials on duty, the principle of command responsibility points higher up the chain.
As Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces, Putin sits at the apex of the military hierarchy. While he would not have been involved in the specific operational decision, he is ultimately responsible for the actions of the military under his command.
The promised legal review will likely examine the roles of the air defense battery commander, regional military leadership, and intelligence officers. It will seek to determine if there was negligence, a violation of protocol, or a simple, tragic error under the pressures of combat.
However, Azerbaijan’s accusation of a “hush up” implicates not just the military, but the political leadership as well. This suggests a belief that the decision to remain silent for ten months was made at a high level, transforming a military error into a political scandal.
The burden of command, therefore, is twofold. There is the responsibility for the initial action and the subsequent responsibility for the state’s response. Putin’s admission addresses the first, but his government’s handling of the second remains a major point of contention.