Kremlin-Linked Media RAIDED, Journalists DETAINED!

A stark escalation between Baku and Moscow erupted after Azerbaijani police raided the office of Sputnik Azerbaijan and detained seven journalists amid mounting diplomatic tensions.

At a Glance

• Azerbaijani police raided Sputnik Azerbaijan’s office in Baku, detaining seven employees.
• Editor-in-chief Yevgeny Belousov and director Igor Kartavykh face pre-trial detention for fraud, money laundering, and illegal business charges.
• The raid followed the deaths of two ethnic Azerbaijani men during a Russian police operation in Yekaterinburg.
• Azerbaijan has canceled official visits and cultural exchanges with Russia in protest.
• Moscow’s media and diplomats condemned the actions, demanding the immediate release of the detained staff.

Media Raid Triggers Diplomatic Meltdown

On June 30, Azerbaijani authorities raided the Baku office of Sputnik Azerbaijan and detained seven journalists. The outlet had been operating without accreditation since February 2025. Editor-in-chief Yevgeny Belousov and editorial director Igor Kartavykh were placed in pre-trial detention on charges of fraud, money laundering, and illegal entrepreneurship.

The raid was swiftly condemned by Rossiya Segodnya and Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, who called the arrests politically motivated and harmful to Azerbaijan–Russia relations.

Deaths in Yekaterinburg Infuriate Azerbaijan

The media crackdown comes just days after the deaths of two ethnic Azerbaijani brothers—Ziyaddin and Huseyn Safarov—during a Russian police raid in Yekaterinburg. Azerbaijani authorities allege police brutality and racially motivated violence, while Russian officials claim one of the men died from heart failure.

Baku has summoned the Russian chargé d’affaires and canceled multiple diplomatic and cultural events in retaliation. The fallout continues to deepen bilateral rifts already strained by earlier incidents.

Watch a report: Baku Raids Sputnik Office Amid Ethnic Tensions.

Diplomatic Fallout and Regional Stakes

The raid adds to a pattern of deteriorating relations. Azerbaijan recently canceled visits by top Russian officials and suspended several bilateral exchanges. Earlier tensions were sparked by the December 2024 downing of an Azerbaijani airliner—which Baku alleged was targeted by Russian air defenses—and Azerbaijan’s conspicuous absence from Russia’s Victory Day celebrations.

Analysts warn this latest escalation may redraw power lines across the South Caucasus, further weakening Russia’s post-Soviet influence. As Azerbaijan distances itself from Moscow, questions grow over whether the region is witnessing a diplomatic realignment—or the start of something far more volatile.