Azerbaijani presidential aide Hikmet Hajiyev called the Baku Military Court's verdict against Ruben Vardanyan "restoration of justice and the end of a nearly 30-year conflict."
According to the publication Minval.Politics, Russia is allegedly preparing a "new dirty attack" against Azerbaijan. The publication claims that in the coming days, the information campaign could enter a "new, more aggressive phase." It notes that this refers not only to comments from individual experts, but also to a targeted wave of information attacks against both the country as a whole and its leadership personally. High-profile information leaks are expected to be used to create a negative image around official Baku. It is also reported that a member of a prominent Azerbaijani family living in Russia may be involved in the campaign, but their name is not disclosed.
Reports on similar trends have also appeared on the Azerbaijani news outlet Operativ Melumat Merkezi. Citing the Operational Information Center (OMM), the site quotes journalist Elchin Alioglu, who described the events as "a new stage in the hybrid war that Russia is waging against Azerbaijan." According to him, the social media campaign against Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and his family members "is not a collection of random emotional outbursts," but rather a "systemic, planned, and centralized information provocation."
Alioglu noted that while cyberattacks on government structures, media, and infrastructure were previously the primary means of pressure, the focus has now shifted to informational influence and psychological pressure on society. He added that the Azerbaijani side has information about the technical architecture of previous cyberattacks, including the server chains and coordination centers used.
The publication also emphasizes that Baku is monitoring the current situation and is aware of both the steps taken and possible further actions by Moscow. The authors of the article warn that it would be a mistake to consider such actions ineffective, as the state has built its own information security system and has response mechanisms.
"Although hybrid warfare is waged quietly, its consequences can be very resonant." The Kremlin must know: Azerbaijan is no longer what it once was, and the language of pressure won't work here. Azerbaijan is well aware of Russia's move and its plans for the future. Let no one deceive themselves.
If anyone in Moscow believes that these provocations will go unanswered, it's a dangerous illusion. Azerbaijan rejects pressure and does not forgive behind-the-scenes tactics. Every step will be followed by a countermeasure," the Operativ Melumat Merkezi report states.
However, none of the sources indicate the time of the alleged attack or cite the sources of the information.
Previously, official statements about a large-scale information campaign in Azerbaijan have been made.
For example, in September 2025, the Armiya.az portal reported on a statement by the Milli Majlis Commission on Countering Foreign Interference and Hybrid Threats. The document claimed that "a large-scale anti-Azerbaijani information campaign has been launched from the territory of the Russian Federation." According to the commission, the intensification of the campaign occurred following the broadcast of an interview by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Saudi Arabia's Al-Arabiya TV channel on August 27.
The statement noted that the head of state's response to a question about the Zangezur Corridor "was taken out of context and presented to Russian readers in a falsified or distorted form." The commission also claimed that the campaign was being carried out through television channels, news websites, and social media, as well as through profiles and bots, including on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and X.
Furthermore, the statement emphasized that targeted advertising containing "threatening information directed against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan" was allegedly distributed on Azerbaijani social media. The commission stated that such actions do not influence public opinion in the country but could increase tensions.