Moscow: The renewed intensification of negative information targeting Azerbaijan in the Russian media, social networks, and especially Telegram channels, has drawn attention. The simultaneous dissemination of similar narratives and rhetoric across various platforms reinforces the view that this process is not accidental but rather systematic.
According to Azeri-Press News Agency, this campaign coincides with a period when messages about the normalization of Azerbaijan-Russia relations are being voiced. In contemporary international relations, information warfare is now regarded as a tool as significant as conventional military confrontation. States compete not only through economic and military resources but also through the use of media, social networks, and digital platforms. From this perspective, the creation of negative narratives about a particular country and their dissemination to a broad audience serves as part of a geopolitical influence mechanism.
It appears that the strengthening of the negative narrative about Azerbaijan in the Russian media is not chaotic in nature but is being carried out in a centralized manner, based on coordinated guiding narratives. The synchronized promotion of similar topics across various platforms demonstrates the coordinated nature of this information policy. Social networks and Telegram channels play a particularly important role in this process. Compared with traditional media, these platforms enable information to spread much more rapidly, while emotionally charged content reaches and influences audiences more quickly. For this reason, many countries in recent years have begun to regard information security as an integral part of national security.
Millions of migrants and representatives of various ethnic communities live in Russia. Citizens of Azerbaijani origin have also been actively contributing to Russia's economy, trade, and service sector for many years. In recent days, however, the generalized portrayal of Azerbaijanis in a negative context by certain media outlets and social media platforms has become a matter of particular concern. In reality, given the widespread presence of chauvinism, xenophobia, and ethnic discrimination in Russia, such an approach should not come as a surprise. In recent days, Russian media and social media have portrayed Azerbaijanis living in the country, who are Russian citizens and contribute to its development, as an "organized criminal group" and have used insulting language against them. This is an expression of the fascist mindset that has become deeply rooted in Russian society.
The raid carried out by officers of Russia's Federal Security Service on the home of the Safarov brothers in Yekaterinburg on June 27 last year, the brutal killing of brothers Ziyaddin and Huseyn Safarov, the detention of several individuals, as well as the detention of the head of the Azerbaijani diaspora in Yekaterinburg, Shahin Shikhlinski, and his son in July of the same year, the opening of criminal proceedings against them, and their long-term imprisonment under a court ruling, can all be regarded as clear examples of xenophobia and discrimination within both Russia's official institutions and Russian society as a whole. The troubling aspect is that this process has now become systematic.
An analysis of these events and the available facts leads to the conclusion that these actions taken by the Russian side are often not based on legal grounds, and that those affected face such treatment solely because of their ethnic background. In general, it should be recognized that conducting investigations into specific legal violations is a normal legal process. However, portraying an entire ethnic community collectively as criminal can seriously damage relations both between states and between peoples.
Considering the historical and social scale of Azerbaijan-Russia relations, the long-term consequences of such rhetoric should be assessed with particular care. The two countries are connected not only through political and economic ties but also by extensive humanitarian and family links. Therefore, the negative stereotypes created in the information space can affect not only diplomatic relations but also relations between ordinary people.
In this context, the anti-Azerbaijani campaigns, slander, and insults spread through Russian media, social networks, and statements by certain individuals have not been forgotten. The re-emergence of the same process in recent days provides grounds to conclude that both the media and certain individuals are receiving instructions from the same center.
One of the widely accepted approaches in the theory of international relations is that the information space often serves as a continuation of geopolitical processes. Differences between states, regional competition, or clashes of strategic interests are reflected not only in diplomatic statements but also in the media agenda. From this perspective, the increase in negative content about Azerbaijan in Russian media and on social platforms can be viewed not as an isolated phenomenon but within a broader regional context.
In fact, the remarks made by President Ilham Aliyev at the 4th Shusha Global Media Forum conveyed a message of normalization in relations with Russia. Responding to a question about ties with Russia, President Ilham Aliyev said that Azerbaijan values its relations with Russia. Both the statements made by the President of Azerbaijan and Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov's visit to Russia demonstrate Azerbaijan's goodwill toward bilateral relations with Russia. Unfortunately, the Russian side is not appreciating Azerbaijan's goodwill and has instead chosen the path of escalating tensions once again.
The primary objective of modern information warfare is not merely to spread a particular news story. Rather, it is to build long-term narratives, reshape the audience's perception of a particular country or nation, and influence public opinion. Thus, this is also a manifestation of double standards-saying one thing while acting differently. On the one hand, positive statements are made about bilateral relations, while on the other, talking points are provided to individuals whose ties to the center are beyond doubt and who are known to be directly controlled from the Kremlin, and insulting, xenophobic attacks against Azerbaijan based on fascist ideology are organized through them.
President Ilham Aliyev's statement at the Shusha Global Media Forum that "the old approaches to perceiving the South Caucasus have become completely outdated" can be regarded as one of the key theses reflecting the essence of the changes taking place in the region. In recent years, the region's political landscape, formats of economic cooperation, and security architecture have undergone significant transformation. Azerbaijan is now emerging not only as a regional player but also as one of the key energy and logistics partners linking Europe and Asia. The development of the Middle Corridor, the expansion of energy export routes, and major international economic projects have strengthened the country's geopolitical significance.
Source: Azeri-Press news agency