Russia once again strikes Azerbaijan’s interests with Shahed drones SOCAR attack — Another sign of Kremlin’s aggression

The Russian military launched another drone and missile attack on Ukrainian territory on August 17. According to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in Odesa, key targets included a Nova Poshta logistics terminal and an oil depot operated by SOCAR, an Azerbaijani energy company. The facilities suffered multiple direct hits, sparking a massive fire. 

Some of the fuel storage tanks were damaged, along with the pump station, control rooms, weighing facilities, and other technical buildings. The depot’s total storage capacity exceeded 16,000 cubic meters.

This is not the first attack on Azerbaijani energy facilities on Ukrainian territory. On the night of August 7–8, 2025, Russian forces targeted an oil depot belonging to the Azerbaijani company SOCAR in Ukraine’s Odesa region. 

Russia launched five Shahed attack drones at the SOCAR facility, causing a fire and damaging a diesel pipeline. Four SOCAR employees were seriously injured.

Earlier, a gas distribution station near Orlivka was also targeted. The facility is a key part of the Trans-Balkan pipeline, which began delivering Azerbaijani gas to Ukraine on June 28.

There’s little doubt that Moscow is not only ignoring international law and the recent Alaska summit, but also the interests of third-party countries involved in Ukraine’s economy. 

SOCAR — one of the largest energy companies in the region — has been a major investor in Ukraine’s infrastructure. The strike on its facility shows that the Kremlin is willing to target Azerbaijani assets abroad, regardless of  possible political consequences. This is no longer just an act of military aggression against Ukraine; it’s also an indirect attack on Azerbaijan, a country that has been steadily pursuing a policy of independence and energy cooperation with Europe.

Baku has already warned that if Russia continues its aggressive stance toward Azerbaijani interests, Azerbaijan may reconsider its arms embargo on Ukraine and begin supplying weapons from its own stockpiles. Moreover, Azerbaijan has made it clear that Moscow’s actions could lead to a reevaluation of their bilateral relations.

The attack on SOCAR’s facility in Odesa is a troubling signal and should not be seen as an isolated incident. The Kremlin is demonstrating its willingness to use force even when the interests of countries with which it has agreements—like the “Declaration on Allied Interaction”—are involved.

In doing so, Russia is losing what little trust remains. Especially considering that in recent months, relations between Moscow and Baku have entered a difficult phase. 

We haven't forgotten that Russia backed Armenia in the Karabakh issue, trying to maintain its influence in the South Caucasus. Now, the attacks on SOCAR facilities in Ukraine make it clear: Moscow is pursuing an aggressive policy that completely disregards Azerbaijan's interests.

For Baku, this is yet another reminder that the country’s strategic security and economic development must be based on diversifying its partnerships, primarily with Türkiye, the European Union, and the United States.

It’s also clear that the strike on SOCAR is not just about destroying infrastructure linked to Azerbaijan. It’s a message: Russia is willing to pressure Azerbaijan through the Ukrainian war front, showing its dissatisfaction with Baku’s active energy cooperation with Europe and Ukraine. However, such actions only speed up Azerbaijan’s strategic alignment with the West, weakening the Kremlin’s position in the South Caucasus.

To wrap up, there’s one more important point to note. During his visit to the United States, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev gave an interview with Fox News, where he discussed relations with Russia and the downing of an AZAL plane in December 2024. He stated that Azerbaijan does not view the incident as a deliberate attack.

”The only thing that we demanded was to admit that, punish those who committed that crime, even if it was not intentional, and pay compensation to the victims and to the airline,” President Ilham Aliyev added. 

However, when it comes to SOCAR’s infrastructure in Ukraine, Russia’s actions are clearly deliberate. The country has targeted the company’s energy facilities twice this month alone.

In this context, Russia’s actions in Ukraine are no longer just about its conflict with Kyiv; they’ve become a way to apply pressure on third countries. For Azerbaijan, this serves as yet another reminder that Moscow continues to be a destabilising force and a threat in the region.