Without and against Russia: What Moscow propagandists keep silent about

The incessant howling and barking of assorted Russian propagandists directed at Azerbaijan share a common element. All these informational mutts are pushing the laughable claim of a “mighty” Russian strike in the form of a ban on exports of fruits and vegetables from Azerbaijan to Russia.

It is perfectly clear that the authors and broadcasters of these claims think primitively, failing to understand that over the years of its independence, Azerbaijan has achieved tremendous success across a vast number of areas. Moreover, these truly crucial accomplishments were achieved without any involvement from the Russian side.

Let me start with something I personally witnessed recently. I flew on the Baku–Chisinau route with AZAL. The flight departed and arrived exactly on time. The journey went flawlessly, the flight attendants on board were excellent, and the landing was very smooth, which speaks to the high skill of the pilots. And here, it’s worth reminding that all of this is our own—Azerbaijani—achievement.

Thus, the National Aviation Academy has, to date, trained over 10,000 specialists, meaning that more than 95% of AZAL’s pilots are graduates of the NAA. Around 95% of the engineering and technical staff in civil aviation are also NAA graduates. Finally, over 90% of Azerbaijan’s civil aviation flight and engineering personnel have been trained at the NAA.

According to Skytrax, AZAL holds a noteworthy 4-star rating, reflecting the high quality of its products and services both onboard and on the ground. Furthermore, in 2025, as in previous years, AZAL was awarded the title of “Best Regional Airline in Central Asia and the CIS,” consistently reaffirming its leadership in the region.

I should also note that Heydar Aliyev International Airport holds a 5-star rating from Skytrax for its high quality of service, infrastructure, comfort, and cleanliness. It has repeatedly earned this top recognition, winning the prestigious Skytrax World Airport Awards eight times in the category of “Best Airport in Central Asia and the CIS.”

Moving on, Azerbaijan has its own satellites, operated by the state-owned company Azercosmos. According to Azercosmos, up to 90% of its revenue comes from exporting services such as imaging, satellite communications, and channel leasing. And the income is substantial: since 2013, Azercosmos has earned over 550 million manats ($323.5 million) from providing services to more than 50 countries across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia. In this way, Azerbaijan has already established itself as a spacefaring nation.

It goes without saying that Russian propagandists will never talk about this, nor will they mention that since gaining independence in 1991, Azerbaijan has managed to build a modern and powerful oil and gas sector, relying on its own resources and strategic partnerships with leading global companies—but without any involvement from Russia.

In 1994, the famous “Contract of the Century” was signed with a consortium of Western energy giants, marking the starting point for a large-scale modernization of oil and gas extraction, processing, and transportation. Pipelines were constructed and put into operation, fully channeling energy exports to global markets while bypassing Russian routes.

As a result, Azerbaijan has not only strengthened its energy independence but also developed a unique school of oil and gas specialists, whose level of training today, according to experts, often surpasses that of Russia. The country produces world-class engineers and managers who work both within Azerbaijan and on projects across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

This success has been made possible through pragmatic policies, openness to technology, and adherence to international standards. Today, Azerbaijan’s oil and gas sector stands as a model of how a country can achieve leadership in a strategic industry by relying on its own capabilities and global partnerships, without depending on Russian infrastructure or personnel systems.

I must also highlight Azerbaijan’s defence industry, which has been rapidly developing under the Ministry of Defence Industry and the Azersilah holding. These are state institutions responsible for the research, design, and production of military equipment.

In 2024 alone, enterprises of the Ministry of Defence Industry produced military goods worth 781.8 million manats ($459.8 million). Azerbaijan’s defence products are exported to more than 30 countries worldwide, including the United States and several NATO member states. This is yet another fact that both Russian propagandists and those who incite them should keep in mind.

Finally, in 2025, Azerbaijan ranked 60th out of 145 countries in the Global Firepower Index, which assesses national military strength across multiple factors, including armed forces, finances, and logistics.

Meanwhile, according to last year’s data from US News & World Report, the Azerbaijani army ranks 29th among the world’s most powerful militaries. Regardless of these rankings, the international community has witnessed firsthand how the Azerbaijani armed forces decisively defeated the Armenian military during the 44-day war and in a one-day counterterrorism operation in the Karabakh region of our country.

This all happened in direct defiance of Russian plans and actions. I am reminding readers of the involvement of hundreds of “Wagner” operatives on Armenia’s side during the 44-day war, as well as the openly pro-Armenian framing of the Second Karabakh War in Russian media. It’s also worth noting that Russian-made military equipment is now on display in Baku’s Military Trophy Park.

As we can see, Azerbaijan has accomplished truly historic feats. Our country has fully restored its sovereignty and territorial integrity, built a strong army and defence industry, developed a powerful oil and gas sector staffed by domestic specialists, become a space power, and established a model civil aviation fleet and airports—including those constructed in the liberated territories.

And all of this was achieved not only without any assistance from Russia but precisely in defiance of its plans and its desire to see Azerbaijan as a weak and dependent republic. So the pack of Russian propagandists can continue spinning their usual narratives—this only amuses us. As the well-known Eastern proverb goes: “The dog barks, but the caravan moves on.”