Baku-Tbilisi, August 12
Azerbaijani political analyst and Milli Majlis deputy Rasim Musabekov told the Georgian political analyst Gela Vasadze that should Russia continue attacks on SOCAR assets in Ukraine, Azerbaijan may send Ukraine its MiG-29 fighter jets and Soviet-era weaponry stationed in Nakhchivan.
This was shared in a conversation reported by the Minval Politika.
Musabekov emphasized that “Azerbaijan is not seeking confrontation with Russia or Iran,” but clarified, “any unacceptable actions will receive a proportional response.” He further stated that the signal has already been sent to Moscow: if attacks on SOCAR installations persist, Azerbaijan may lift its arms embargo and supply military equipment to Ukraine.
Highlighting Azerbaijan’s modernization efforts, he argued: “We’re replacing our entire air force with new Pakistani aircraft that have proven themselves.” He posed the question: “Why not return to Ukraine the MiG-29s purchased from it previously?” and urged Russia to reflect on that possibility.
Musabekov also revealed that substantial stockpiles of Soviet weaponry are held by the Separate Army in Nakhchivan. Should Azerbaijan decide to re-equip its forces with Turkish systems, he suggested, “all the freed-up Soviet armaments could be routed through Turkey, and then on to Ukraine via countries like the Czech Republic or Bulgaria,” if so required.
Finally, he dismissed potential criticism by drawing a parallel: “During the 44-day war, Russia provided arms to Armenia via Iranian territory. Much of the weaponry later destroyed or captured in Azerbaijan was gifted to Armenia by Russia — free of charge. We won’t tolerate hypocrisy from them.”
