Moscow, August 14
Moscow reacted sharply after Baku signaled it could reconsider its self-imposed embargo on supplying arms to Ukraine, should Russia continue what Azerbaijan calls an “aggressive policy” against its national interests.
At a briefing on August 13, Russian Foreign Ministry official Alexey Fadeev said, “Azerbaijan knows Russia’s position on arms deliveries to Ukraine — this will only make the situation worse.”
The statement follows a report by Caliber.az on August 10 citing reliable sources: if Moscow maintains its hostile approach, Baku may begin reviewing the arms embargo. According to the report, Russian forces have repeatedly targeted Azerbaijani-owned energy infrastructure in Ukraine, prompting officials in Baku to weigh countermeasures — a move likely to deepen the rift in bilateral relations.
Tensions escalated after the overnight August 8 drone strike on SOCAR’s oil terminal in Ukraine’s Odesa region. Five Shahed drones hit the facility, sparking a fire and damaging a diesel pipeline. Four SOCAR employees were seriously injured. It was the second such attack in recent weeks on Azerbaijani-linked assets in Ukraine — earlier, a gas distribution station near Orlivka, part of the Trans-Balkan pipeline delivering Azerbaijani gas to Ukraine since June 28, was also struck.
Critics in Baku note the irony in Moscow accusing Azerbaijan of “escalation” while ignoring its own actions. As one observer put it: “The initiator of the current crisis in Azerbaijani–Russian relations is certainly not Baku.”
