Moscow accused of launching an 'informational offensive' following Aliyev's assertion that Bolshevik forces invaded Azerbaijan, as claimed by Baku.
The Caucasus region is currently experiencing significant changes, with tensions between Azerbaijan and Russia reaching a new high. This escalation can be traced back to comments made by President Ilham Aliyev on historical facts, which seemingly sparked a massive information campaign led by Russia.
Azerbaijan's Parliament has accused Moscow of launching this campaign, claiming it is aimed at inciting anti-Azerbaijan sentiment in Russian society. The accusation follows an interview President Aliyev gave to Al-Arabiya, in which he discussed the short-lived Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (1918-1920) and the Soviet Union's separation of Nakhchivan from mainland Azerbaijan, necessitating the creation of the Trump Route today.
Stridently pro-Kremlin media outlet Tsargrad TV has published articles criticizing Aliyev's comments, including one accusing him of being silent about his father Heydar Aliyev's service as the Communist Party boss of Soviet Azerbaijan. Another Tsargrad TV article entitled "Aliyev blamed Russia for the occupation of Azerbaijan" suggests that Azerbaijan is setting the stage for a big war with the Russians.
The activities of this campaign are not limited to traditional media. Azerbaijan's social media segment is targeted through advertisements containing threatening rhetoric against the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Some Russian propagandists have even begun threatening Azerbaijan with war.
The parliament's statement asserts that such campaigns have no impact on public opinion in Azerbaijan. The statement claims that Aliyev's response was taken out of context, falsified, or distorted when presented to the Russian audience.
In response to this threat, a newsroom is being built, powered by readers, to respond to this threat and strengthen independent voices in the Caucasus region. The organization committed to building a news editorial office supported by readers is yet to be explicitly named in the available search results, requiring further research to identify it.
The current tensions between Azerbaijan and Russia are further fueled by recent events such as the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines flight in December 2024, which Azerbaijan has blamed on Russian air defense, and the deaths of two ethnic Azerbaijanis during a Russian police raid in Yekaterinburg in June 2025.
Amidst these tensions, Azerbaijan has become more open in its support of Ukraine, hinting that it may be willing to end its arms embargo if tensions with Russia continue. The independent voices in the region are under threat, making it crucial for initiatives like the reader-powered newsroom to thrive and counter the spread of false narratives and baseless hostility towards neighboring states.
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