Relations between Russia and Azerbaijan have taken a sharp downturn following the detention of three Russian journalists in Baku, prompting Moscow to summon Azerbaijan’s ambassador, Rahman Mustafayev, to the Russian Foreign Ministry. The move comes in response to what Russia describes as “unfriendly actions” by Azerbaijan, escalating a diplomatic rift sparked by a recent police crackdown in Russia targeting suspected Azerbaijani criminal groups.
On Monday, Azerbaijani authorities raided the offices of Sputnik Azerbaijan, a branch of the Russian state-funded media outlet Russia Today, detaining two senior editors, Igor Kartavykh and Evgeny Belousov, along with a journalist from Ruptly, a Russian video news agency. Azerbaijani officials have accused the journalists of being agents of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), a claim Sputnik has dismissed as “absurd.” The detentions followed Azerbaijan’s investigation into Sputnik Azerbaijan for allegedly operating without a valid license, a charge that has fueled suspicions of political motivations.
The arrests come on the heels of a controversial Russian police operation in Yekaterinburg, where authorities targeted members of the Azerbaijani diaspora suspected of involvement in organized crime, including murders dating back to the early 2000s. The raids resulted in the deaths of two ethnic Azerbaijanis, Ziyaddin and Huseyn Safarov, with one reportedly dying of heart failure and the other from an undetermined cause, according to Russia’s Investigative Committee. Azerbaijan has condemned the operation as “extrajudicial killings” and an act of ethnic targeting, claims Russia has rejected, asserting that the raids were lawful and aimed at criminal elements.
In retaliation, Azerbaijan canceled all Russian cultural events, including concerts and exhibitions, and scrapped planned bilateral talks, including a visit by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk. The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry has demanded a thorough investigation into the Yekaterinburg raids, calling for justice for those affected. Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova expressed concern over the lack of access to the detained journalists, stating that Russian diplomats have been unable to contact them, further inflaming tensions.
Dmitry Kiselev, head of Rossiya Segodnya, Sputnik’s parent organization, condemned the treatment of the journalists, likening their arrests to those of “terrorists” and suggesting the detentions were a deliberate attempt to strain Moscow-Baku relations.
The diplomatic spat is the latest in a series of strains between the two nations. Tensions were already high following the December 2024 crash of an Azerbaijani passenger jet, which President Ilham Aliyev claimed was unintentionally shot down by Russian air defenses near Grozny. Russian President Vladimir Putin issued an apology for the “tragic incident” but stopped short of admitting responsibility, further souring ties.
As both sides dig in, analysts warn that the escalating rhetoric and tit-for-tat actions could jeopardize strategic cooperation in the Caucasus. Russia has signaled that continued “provocations” may lead to a reassessment of bilateral ties, while Azerbaijan appears to be aligning more closely with Western partners, as evidenced by recent diplomatic engagements with Ukraine.
