The Azerbaijani embassy located in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, has once again become the target of a Russian attack.
During an attack on the city in the late hours of November 14, one of the “Iskander” type missiles fell on the embassy's territory.
The explosion destroyed the fence of the diplomatic mission, and the administrative building, consular department, and service vehicles sustained serious damage. Fortunately, the incident did not result in casualties.
However, this is not the first incident where Russia has struck Azerbaijan's diplomatic mission, as well as its facility.
In March 2022, the building of Azerbaijan's consulate in Kharkiv was damaged during an air attack. At the same time, a car belonging to a consulate employee became unusable.
According to an official statement, Azerbaijan provided the coordinates of the buildings housing its diplomatic missions in Ukraine to the Russian side as early as April 2022. However, the targeting of Azerbaijani diplomatic missions has not ceased.
In January last year, a “Kinzhal” missile launched by Russia created a 3-meter crater just 35 steps from the embassy. The discovery of unexploded ordnance saved the lives of the diplomatic staff at the last moment.
In August this year, an air strike delivered 50 meters away from the embassy in Kyiv damaged the ambassador's residence, the administrative building, and the consular department.
On August 8 and 18, SOCAR's oil base in Odesa was subjected to drone attacks twice, and employees were injured.
This sequence raises the question of whether the attacks against Azerbaijan's diplomatic and economic targets are systematic in nature.
Although the Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed that the coordinates provided by Azerbaijan would be taken into account, the attacks have not ceased. The increasing number of strikes near embassy and consulate buildings already weakens the version of a purely technical error or a “random consequence of war.” The provision of coordinates for diplomatic facilities in war zones is precisely to prevent risks, and non-compliance with these coordinates is considered a violation of international legal obligations.
The timing of successive missile and drone strikes indicates that the targeting of Azerbaijan's diplomatic and economic facilities can no longer be considered accidental incidents.
After nearly a year of tension, a relative softening was observed in the Baku–Moscow line. However, the targeting of the diplomatic mission creates misunderstanding regarding the exact direction of relations. Such strikes are consistent neither with political logic nor with the recent delicate balances formed in bilateral relations.
The continuation of such attacks after the Russian side's promise that “coordinates will be taken into account” increases Baku's concern, and the current situation seriously damages the environment of mutual trust between the parties. Baku awaits answers from Moscow to the unanswered questions...
Elnur Amirov
