1. Russian President Vladimir Putin admitted responsibility for shooting down an Azerbaijan Airlines plane last year, blaming technical failures in Russia's air defense system. He made this statement during a meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.

2. Putin explained that two Russian missiles exploded near the plane after Ukrainian drones entered Russian airspace, causing damage from debris rather than warheads. This incident occurred on Christmas Day when the plane was heading for southern Russia.

3. In related news, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed hope that the delivery of Tomahawk cruise missiles from the US could discourage Russia and potentially lead to negotiations in their ongoing conflict. Ukraine has been seeking these long-range missiles, but their introduction has raised concerns among Russian officials as it may escalate the conflict.