Moscow Accuses London of Worsening Relations with Azerbaijan

Russian officials have expressed concern about possible arms supplies from Azerbaijan to Ukraine. Alexey Chepa, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, voiced hope that Azerbaijan will not take this step. He also noted that there are forces, in particular Great Britain, that seek to worsen relations between Russia and Azerbaijan, putting pressure on Moscow both from within and from without.

Earlier, the Russian Foreign Ministry, represented by Deputy Director of the Information and Press Department Alexey Fadeyev, also indicated that a possible lifting of the embargo on arms supplies to Ukraine by Azerbaijan will not contribute to the settlement of the conflict. Konstantin Zatulin, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs, suggested that Azerbaijan may already be supplying weapons to Ukraine through intermediaries.

These statements followed media reports linking Azerbaijan's potential decision with recent attacks by Russian troops on the energy infrastructure of the Azerbaijani company SOCAR in Ukraine. In particular, we are talking about an attack on an oil depot in the Odessa region, which led to a fire and injuries to employees, as well as on a gas distribution station near Orlovka, which is key for the supply of Azerbaijani gas to Ukraine.

Azerbaijan continues to provide humanitarian support to Ukraine. The total cost of assistance since the beginning of the "SVO" has amounted to 44 million dollars.