Lithuania: Russia grossly violated Vienna Convention by attacking Azerbaijani Embassy in Kyiv Note of Protest

Lithuania has sent a new note of protest to Russia, condemning its strikes on Kyiv that resulted in damage to the Azerbaijani Embassy, calling it a gross violation of the Vienna Convention.

Through the note, Lithuania’s Foreign Ministry protested the latest large-scale strikes on Ukrainian cities, the resulting civilian casualties, Caliber.Az reports via Lithuanian media.

The Ministry also slammed Russia’s attacks between November 14 and 17 that damaged residential buildings, hospitals, and energy infrastructure in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, Sumy, and other regions.

It further highlighted a video published on November 15 that allegedly shows Russian soldiers executing two Ukrainian prisoners of war in the Zaporizhzhia region. Lithuania said such actions constitute war crimes, which the Russian leadership continues to ignore.

Lithuania has regularly issued protest notes to Russia since the start of the invasion in 2022. Meanwhile, Ukraine reported a new overnight mass strike by Russia on critical infrastructure, causing additional casualties, including in Ternopil. Romania and Poland scrambled aircraft during the attack, while Moldova is investigating a possible violation of its airspace.

As a reminder, earlier on November 14 at around 1:00 a.m. Kyiv time, an Iskander-type missile landed on the grounds of Azerbaijan’s Embassy, causing extensive damage. Part of the perimeter wall was destroyed, and the administrative building, consular section, service vehicles, and other facilities sustained significant structural harm. No casualties were reported.

In response, Azerbaijan summoned Russian Ambassador to Baku, Mikhail Yevdokimov, to the Foreign Ministry, where an official note of protest was delivered.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev condemned the renewed missile strike on Azerbaijan’s Embassy in Ukraine during a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on November 14. 

The Azerbaijani president expressed serious concern over the attack, stressing that assaults on diplomatic missions are unacceptable under the norms and principles of international law. 

Zelenskyy, who called the Azerbaijani leader, also condemned the repeated missile strike on the administrative building of Azerbaijan’s Embassy in Ukraine as a result of a Russian missile attack and expressed deep concern over the incident.

By Khagan Isayev