Embassy under fire: what Azerbaijan’s statement means for relations with Russia
16 February 17:51
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said that Russia had attacked Azerbaijani energy facilities in Ukraine three times and the Azerbaijani embassy building three times.
He said this in a comment to Ukrainska Pravda on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, according to "Komersant Ukrainian".
According to Aliyev, after the first incident, Baku assumed that it was an accidental hit. Azerbaijan provided the Russian side with the exact coordinates of all diplomatic facilities in Ukraine, including the consulate and cultural centers. However, the strikes were repeated.
“Despite this, two more attacks took place. Therefore, it was a deliberate attack on the diplomatic mission of Azerbaijan,” the president said.
In response, Azerbaijan made public statements, informed its ambassador, and sent a diplomatic note. Aliyev called Russia’s actions “an unfriendly step.”
Russia’s reaction
The Russian Foreign Ministry said it was “surprised” by the Azerbaijani leader’s words.
The Russian side insists that during the planning of strikes, controls are in place to avoid damage to civilian objects and that the locations of diplomatic missions are taken into account.
Strikes on Azerbaijani energy facilities in Ukraine
Aliyev’s statements came amid a series of Russian strikes on facilities related to Azerbaijan’s energy sector:
- August 8 — drone attack on SOCAR’s oil depot in the Odesa region: fire, damaged diesel fuel pipeline;
- August 18 — a second strike on the SOCAR oil refinery in the Odesa region: tanks, a pumping station, control rooms, and technical facilities were destroyed;
- Earlier — a massive strike on a gas transportation infrastructure facility near the Ukrainian-Romanian border, through which gas from the US and Azerbaijan was supplied to Ukraine.
What is known about the shelling of the Azerbaijani embassy
The Azerbaijani embassy in Ukraine has been damaged three times as a result of Russian attacks, Aliyev said.
One of the confirmed incidents occurred on the night of November 14, when debris from a massive Russian strike on Kyiv damaged the diplomatic mission building.
After the first incident, Azerbaijan officially provided Russia with the embassy’s coordinates, but this did not prevent further attacks.
Baku believes that the combination of these facts rules out the possibility of accident and indicates deliberate action.
