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Azerbaijani Police Raid Russian State-Run Media Sputnik After Citizens Killed in Russian Operation
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![Maryna_kulakova]( "Photo of Maryna Kulakova")
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Azerbaijani police have raided the offices of the Russian state-run outlet Sputnik Azerbaijan, amid reports that two Russian FSB agents working there under journalistic cover were also detained, according to Vesti.az on June 30.
Sputnik, part of the Russian state media holding Rossiya Segodnya (Russia Today), operates websites, live streams, radio broadcasts, and press centers in multiple countries. Its Azerbaijani branch officially ceased operations in February, but according to Qafqazinfo, it continued to function unofficially, with staff reportedly still reporting to work.
The recent raid on Sputnik Azerbaijan comes amid growing tensions between Baku and Moscow. Azerbaijani authorities have accused Russian security forces of killing two Azerbaijani citizens during a police raid in Yekaterinburg.
According to Baku, Russian officers used excessive force, killing two Azerbaijani nationals, seriously injuring several others, and detaining nine people in the operation.
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Russian officials claimed the raid was linked to an old criminal investigation, including the 2001 murder of Yunis Pashayev. Media reports initially named the Safarov brothers as suspects, though it was later revealed they were already deceased. According to the outlet E1, around 50 people were detained in total.
The incident triggered a sharp response from Azerbaijan. The Foreign Ministry summoned Russia’s chargé d'affaires in Baku, Petr Volkov, demanding a thorough investigation and accountability for those responsible.
In the wake of the arrests and fatalities, Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Culture cancelled all cultural events involving Russian state and private entities.
Earlier, six individuals have been detained in Serbia on suspicion of plotting actions against the constitutional order and national security, the country’s Ministry of Internal Affairs announced on June 26.
