Azerbaijan protests to Russia over Kyiv embassy damaged in Russian missile attack
Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry said on Nov. 14 it had summoned the Russian ambassador to voice a "strong protest" over the Azerbaijani Embassy in Kyiv damaged in a Russian aerial attack.
An Iskander-type missile fell on the embassy's territory, causing an explosion that damaged its facilities and service vehicles, the ministry said. No staff casualties were reported.
The development signals a potential renewal of tensions between Baku and Moscow, following the Kremlin's efforts to mend relations last month.
Russia launched a mass missile and drone attack against Kyiv overnight on Nov. 14, killing at least six people and injuring dozens more.
President Volodymyr Zelensky, who previously announced that the embassy had been damaged by a Russian missile fragment, said he discussed the situation in a phone call with his Azerbaijani counterpart, Ilham Aliyev.
Aliyev "condemned this strike and emphasized that this is not the first time the Russians have targeted the embassy building and other sites linked to Azerbaijan," Zelensky said on X.
The Ukrainian leader also said the two discussed developing mutual ties, noting that there is a "green light across all areas of our bilateral cooperation."
Baku has drawn attention to repeated cases of its government buildings or business assets being damaged in Russian attacks against Ukraine.
An honorary consulate in Kharkiv suffered damage in March 2022, and the Kyiv Embassy itself was damaged in August this year. Russian attacks also struck an oil depot of the Azerbaijani Socar company in August.
The Azerbaijani side told Russian Ambassador Mikhail Yevdokimov that "all these facts raise questions about the deliberate nature of the missile attacks."
"During the meeting, it was stressed that such attacks on our diplomatic missions are unacceptable, and it was requested that the Russian side conduct an appropriate investigation into the issue and provide a detailed explanation," the ministry said in a statement.
Azerbaijan has maintained a neutral stance in the Russia-Ukraine war, balancing its long-standing partnership with Moscow while offering humanitarian and energy assistance to Kyiv.
The relations with Russia soured after Russian air defenses downed an Azerbaijani airliner over Grozny in December 2024, leading to the deaths of 38 of the 67 people on board.
Russian President Vladimir Putin's initial reluctance to acknowledge responsibility prompted backlash from Aliyev, with relations further strained by Russian attacks against Azerbaijani-linked facilities in Ukraine and a crackdown on Russian state media in Baku.
Only in October did Putin acknowledge that the airliner was damaged by Russian air defenses, after which Azerbaijan released the detained head of the Russian state-run media outlet Sputnik's Baku bureau.
