Camilla Jessen
Aliyev accuses Russia of ‘deliberate’ strikes on Azerbaijan embassy in Kyiv.
Azerbaijan’s president has accused Russia of deliberately attacking his country’s embassy in Kyiv during airstrikes last year.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, President Ilham Aliyev said Russian strikes in Ukraine in 2025 hit Azerbaijan’s diplomatic mission three times. He called the incidents an “unfriendly” and “hostile” act toward Azerbaijan.
Aliyev said that after the first strike near the embassy, Azerbaijan gave Russian officials the exact coordinates of all its diplomatic buildings, including consulates and cultural centers, to prevent further incidents.
However, he said two more attacks followed.
“We were able to imagine that it was an accident” after the first strike, Aliyev said. But the next two incidents, he argued, showed it was “a deliberate attack on the diplomatic representation of Azerbaijan.”
Embassy hit three times in 2025
The reported incidents took place during Russian bombings near the Azerbaijani embassy in July, August and November 2025.
At the time, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry said Iskander missile impacts caused serious damage to the embassy building, though no one was killed.
Aliyev also said Russian strikes damaged Azerbaijani energy infrastructure in Ukraine, including facilities owned by the state oil company SOCAR. SOCAR operates in Ukraine and plays a role in gas supplies from Azerbaijan.
According to Azerbaijani officials, several employees were injured in the attacks.
Azerbaijan responds through diplomacy
Aliyev said Azerbaijan has responded through diplomatic channels. He confirmed that the Russian ambassador to Azerbaijan was summoned and that official protest notes were delivered.
“We are acting only through diplomatic channels, we cannot do anything else,” Aliyev said.
He added that Azerbaijan considers the strikes a hostile act but has taken all necessary diplomatic steps.
Russia denies intentional attacks
Russia has repeatedly denied deliberately targeting Azerbaijani diplomatic or energy facilities.
Moscow has said the damage may have been accidental or caused by Ukrainian air defense systems. After one of the incidents, Russia’s Foreign Ministry suggested the damage to the embassy may have been caused by a malfunctioning Ukrainian Patriot missile.
Following the third incident in November, Russia expressed “sincere regret” over the damage to the embassy building.
Sources: Euronews, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, Russian Foreign Ministry, Digi24
