Comments on the shelling of the Azerbaijani embassy in Ukraine indicated a lack of progress in relations between Moscow and Baku.
The statement by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev about the attacks on the country's embassy in Kyiv reflects the tension in relations between Baku and Moscow and the lack of progress in resolving it.
As "Caucasian Knot" reported, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stated that Baku raised the issue of damage to the country's embassy in Ukraine "many times" during contacts with Moscow. According to him, after the first damage, Azerbaijan passed on "all the coordinates of diplomatic agencies to its Russian colleagues," and also "made special statements, the ambassador was invited, and a note was announced." Moreover, Aliyev added, there were only three explosions and this is an "unfriendly step." According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the claim of a deliberate attack on the embassy is untrue.
Russia's shelling of the Azerbaijani embassy in Kyiv reflects tensions in bilateral relations, which is linked to Moscow's persistent reluctance to apologize for the downing of the Azerbaijani passenger plane, punish those responsible, and pay compensation for the loss of life and the destruction of the airliner, Baku-based analyst Shahin Hajiyev told a Caucasian Knot correspondent.
Relations between Moscow and Baku have noticeably deteriorated since the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane with 67 people on board in Kazakhstan on December 25, 2024, en route from Baku to Grozny. More details can be found in the "Caucasian Knot" report "Baku-Grozny Flight Crash" and in the article "Geopolitical Confrontation: What the AZAL Plane Crash Led to." Ethnic raids in Russia and retaliatory detentions of Russians in Azerbaijan have become the latest step in the deterioration of relations between the two countries. Baku accuses Russian authorities of extrajudicial killings of Azerbaijanis, and footage of the brutal detention of Russians in Baku appears to be a demonstrative response to Moscow's actions, according to the "Caucasian Knot" report "Crisis in Azerbaijan-Russia Relations".
Hadjiyev drew attention to the fact that the two attacks took place after the crash of the AZAL plane.
The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry summoned Russian Ambassador to the Republic Mikhail Yevdokimov to deliver a note of protest. The ministry called the attacks on the country's diplomatic missions in Ukraine unacceptable and demanded an investigation.
"This incident occurred after the October 2025 attack in Dushanbe. the presidents of Azerbaijan and Russia met, that is, as it turned out, these negotiations did not relieve tension in bilateral relations, but only smoothed over the contradictions for a while,” the expert said.
According to Hajiyev, there are no signs of easing tensions in Azerbaijani-Russian relations, since the parties do not demonstrate any intention to back down from their positions. In particular, in Yekaterinburg a guilty verdict was handed down in the high-profile case of the Safarov brothers, in which the head of the region’s Azerbaijani diaspora, Shahin Shikhlinski, was also convicted. And in Azerbaijan, the arrest of Russian citizens was once again extended despite calls from the Russian side for their release.
At the same time, according to Hajiyev, despite the political tensions in bilateral relations, economic ties continue and develop. However, the expert cited cases where officials create obstacles for Azerbaijani drivers delivering vegetables to Russia.
However, as the analyst emphasized, Azerbaijan, by insisting on the fulfillment of its demands in connection with the plane crash, is avoiding further escalation and responding to Russia's disregard for its interests by continuing humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
Political scientist Rasim Musabeyov, a member of the Azerbaijani Parliament's International Relations Committee, believes that President Ilham Aliyev's statement about the shelling of the Azerbaijani embassy in Kiev is addressed not only to an international audience but also to Russia. The essence of the statement was that "Russia should build and maintain civilized relations" with Azerbaijan, Musabeyov said.
He also noted that the infrastructure of Azerbaijan's state oil company SOCAR in Ukraine had been attacked. According to Musabekov, such an approach precludes any strategic partnership, let alone good neighborliness. "To establish good relations, Russia must take actions commensurate with their spirit and taking into account Azerbaijan's sovereign interests," noted political scientist Musabekov.