A special operation at the Baku office of the Simonyan-linked “Sputnik” news agency has led to sensational yet unsurprising results: two FSB agents operating under journalistic cover have been detained. This comes as little surprise — Sputnik has repeatedly been linked to Russian intelligence services in various countries. In fact, many governments no longer recognize it as a legitimate media outlet. That one of the FSB’s units operated in Azerbaijan under Sputnik’s umbrella was, frankly, to be expected. It appears the agents had been under surveillance for some time, with authorities waiting for the right moment to act.
These agents were apparently of high value — which explains the emotional reaction from Moscow. Russia’s Foreign Ministry is in uproar: how dare Baku crack down on a Russian “media” outlet? The Russian embassy in Baku showed up en masse at the office. Yet none of this drama had any effect on Azerbaijani authorities. The operation continued. Sputnik was not allowed to resume its work. And now, two FSB agents have been formally detained.
Some context: the decision to shut down the Sputnik office was made earlier this year. The so-called journalists — realistically, Sputnik functioned as a propaganda outlet, not a news agency — were given time to resolve logistical matters. The office wasn’t immediately sealed. However, the agency continued its activities in violation of Azerbaijani law. And in Azerbaijan, the law is to be respected — regardless of which foreign capital stands behind the offenders.
Azerbaijan will not tolerate the presence of foreign intelligence operatives on its soil — especially not from hostile services. No one in Baku harbors illusions about Russian policy or the FSB’s role. Let’s not forget that it was Russian intelligence behind the hybrid cyberattack on Azerbaijan earlier this year.
The incident in Yekaterinburg has only reinforced these concerns. It was FSB special forces who arrested Azerbaijani nationals there. Two individuals were tortured to death. FSB officers reportedly threatened to plant drugs on Azerbaijani citizens in Russia if they refused to serve as cannon fodder in the war against Ukraine — a war of aggression, plain and simple.
Azerbaijan is not a country that leaves its debts unpaid — whether good or bad. In response to ethnically motivated repression in Yekaterinburg, Baku has canceled the visit of Russia’s deputy prime minister and suspended cultural events involving Russian artists.
Most importantly, Baku is taking note of Russia’s current hysteria — even in sensitive matters. Russian officials had tried to paint the crackdown on Azerbaijanis as a result of Kremlin factionalism. But it’s now clear that the Kremlin operates as a single, reckless tower — and its leadership fails to grasp that such games in politics come with consequences. Especially when dealing with a country like Azerbaijan.
Typically, Baku prefers to resolve sensitive matters through discreet channels. The intelligence world offers many ways to settle issues quietly, without public spectacle. So if Azerbaijani authorities carried out a deliberately visible raid on the Sputnik office, arrested two FSB agents, and made the arrests public — that’s a message. Clear, unmistakable, and impossible to ignore.
