The Russian Foreign Ministry has rejected claims that Russian forces intentionally targeted facilities belonging to Azerbaijan during recent missile strikes in Ukraine.
The statement followed a meeting in Moscow between Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin and Azerbaijan’s Ambassador Rahman Mustafayev.
According to the ministry, allegations about the “deliberate nature of missile strikes” on Azerbaijani property in Kyiv do not reflect reality. Moscow said it had carefully reviewed Baku’s November 14 inquiry regarding damage sustained by buildings, property and the grounds of the Azerbaijani diplomatic mission in the Ukrainian capital.
Russian officials expressed “sincere regret” over the incident but insisted that the damage was most likely caused not by Russian fire, but by the malfunction of Ukrainian air-defense systems, specifically the fall of a Patriot interceptor missile.
The Foreign Ministry reiterated that Russia strikes only “legitimate military targets,” including defense-industry sites in Kyiv, and that its planning process takes into account the locations of foreign diplomatic missions to avoid civilian or diplomatic damage.
Moscow also blamed Kyiv for placing air-defense assets inside residential districts, arguing that such deployments violate international humanitarian law and create additional risks for civilians. Any consequences of these actions, the statement said, rest on Ukraine’s leadership.
The two sides also discussed the broader bilateral agenda, reaffirming their intention to continue cooperation under the 2022 Declaration on Allied Interaction. They reviewed plans for high-level contacts, progress in economic ties, and the importance of restoring cultural and humanitarian exchanges.
The Russian side additionally urged Baku to ensure the speedy release of 11 Russian citizens detained in Azerbaijan this summer – a step it called important for normalizing relations.
Regional issues were also raised, including Russia’s potential role in Armenia–Azerbaijan normalization efforts based on the trilateral agreements of 2020–2022, as well as cooperation within the “3+3” regional platform.
