Russian Propaganda Calls for War With Azerbaijan After Aliyev Backs Ukraine

Russian Z-affiliated military bloggers have begun calling for preparations for possible aggression against Azerbaijan following remarks by President Ilham Aliyev, in which he stated that Ukraine should’ve not accepted Russian occupation.

The outlet Agentstvo. Novosti reported on this.

Speaking at the 3rd Global Media Forum on July 20, President Aliyev responded to a question from a Ukrainian journalist, asking what advice he, as the leader of a “victorious nation,” would offer to Ukraine.

The President of Azerbaijan stated that he advises “never to give up and never to accept the violation of territorial integrity.”

In addition, he announced that Azerbaijan was preparing documents to submit to an international court regarding the AzAL plane crash in Kazakhstan, which likely occurred due to being struck by Russian air defense over Grozny.

Following these statements, Russian propagandists simultaneously began advocating for armed aggression against Azerbaijan.

For instance, blogger Aleksey Zhyvov called Aliyev’s remarks “blatantly hostile” and claimed that the Caspian Sea “may soon become a new theater of war.” Meanwhile, the channel Zapiski Veterana wrote that Baku was “turning into a NATO outpost” and was “consciously following Ukraine’s path.”

Other well-known Russian propagandists, including Semyon Pegov (WarGonzo), called a conflict with Baku “inevitable” and urged people to “start preparing for it now,” accusing Azerbaijan of “open Russophobia.”

Similar messages have been spread by channels run by Yuriy Podolyak, Arkhangel Spetsnaza, and Two Majors.

FSB Agents Detained in Azerbaijan

At the end of June, two officers of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation were detained in Azerbaijan. They had been working at the Sputnik Azerbaijan office in Baku. This was reported by a local media outlet citing sources within law enforcement.

According to journalists, the operation was carried out by Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs. The detained individuals were operating under the cover of employment at the news agency, which is part of the Russia Today media group – one of the key instruments of Russian propaganda abroad.

The official circumstances surrounding the FSB officers’ presence in the editorial office have not been disclosed.

However, it is not ruled out that they had been carrying out tasks related to information and psychological operations, coordinating editorial policy in Moscow’s interests, or conducting other intelligence activities under the guise of journalism.

Historically, the use of media, diplomatic, and commercial institutions as cover for intelligence operations has been a common practice in Russian foreign policy. The detentions in Baku may indicate a shift in the Azerbaijani government’s approach toward the presence of Russian structures on its territory.