“Azerbaijan has effectively put an end to Russia's dominance in the South Caucasus.” According to Medianews.az, this is stated in the Ukrainian Foreign Intelligence Service's announcement on July 26. The statement posted on the Service's website recalls that Russia has recently faced diplomatic protests from Azerbaijan, citing this as an example of Moscow’s further weakening international influence.
In the part of the statement concerning Azerbaijan, after emphasizing that Baku has ended Moscow's dominance in the South Caucasus, the following is recalled: “Russia struck a fuel station belonging to the Azerbaijan State Oil Company (SOCAR) in Ukraine’s Mykolaiv region. Baku protested to Moscow over this. Azerbaijan firmly demanded a thorough investigation of the incident while also calling for adherence to international obligations concerning the protection of civilian objects. Subsequently, the President of Azerbaijan officially declared that his country is ready to replace Russia in Europe’s oil and gas market. This once again demonstrates that Russia has lost its status as a reliable energy partner and a full member of Europe’s leading institutions.”
The Ukrainian Foreign Intelligence Service believes that Russia’s aggressive behavior is increasingly deterring international partners from cooperating with Moscow: “The world understands that any future cooperation with the Kremlin ‘spreads poison’ and is gradually trying to distance itself from Russia.”
The SOCAR fuel station located in Ukraine’s Mykolaiv region was subjected to a drone attack on July 5. On July 6, Mikhail Yevdokimov, Russia’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Azerbaijan, was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. During the meeting, a sharp protest against the attack was expressed and an appropriate note was presented to the Russian side.
In the meeting, it was recalled that the drone attack was not the first instance, and previously SOCAR-owned facilities in Ukraine had been exposed to military strikes and other destructive effects of military operations, resulting in significant material damage and injuries among the company’s employees.
The meeting also drew attention to the air strikes that damaged the buildings of the Azerbaijani Embassy in Kyiv and the Honorary Consulate in Kharkiv, emphasizing the importance of strict adherence to obligations concerning the protection of diplomatic and consular mission buildings.
Immediately after the change of power in Ukraine through a popular uprising in February 2014, Russia occupied the Crimean Peninsula, annexing the region under the names of the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol on March 18, and also took control of parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, establishing occupation regimes. On February 21, 2022, Russia recognized the Donetsk and Luhansk regimes as “independent states,” began full-scale military operations in Ukraine on February 24, recognized the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions as “sovereign and independent” entities on September 29, and on October 5 announced their annexation along with Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
The occupying war is accompanied by relentless rocket, drone, and aviation strikes across the country.
Russia has faced severe sanctions due to the war, and the recent increased retaliatory strikes, especially the destruction of oil refineries, have further shaken its fragile socio-economic life.
On July 21, 2026, during a visit to Berlin, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said at a joint press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Mertz that the crisis in the Middle East (stemming from intermittent military strikes by the US and initially Israel against Iran since February 28) has disrupted traditional oil supply chains, and as a result of Russia’s oil refinery destructions, Russia cannot export as many oil products as it wants to its traditional customers. Against this background, the head of state emphasized that European banks must allocate funds for the development and expansion of oil and gas projects and infrastructure: “In such circumstances, Azerbaijan can significantly increase its gas exports to the European space, including Germany.” /novator.az