Odesa: The strike by Russian armed forces on the oil depot of the State Oil Company of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) in Ukraine’s Odesa region is an ‘outrageous act,’ according to Peter Tase, the founder of the Azerbaijan-US Business and Education Council in Wisconsin.
According to Azerbaijan State News Agency, Ukrainian authorities reported that the attack, carried out using Iran’s ‘Shahed’ drones, caused a major fire and damaged a diesel fuel pipeline. Although the fire was quickly extinguished, four employees were seriously injured and hospitalized.
The professor stated: ‘This is not merely damage resulting from Russia’s aggression against Ukraine but also a deliberate attack on Azerbaijan’s leading company and a high-profile national brand. If this attack had occurred less than ten hours after the trilateral summit at the White House, mediated by President Donald Trump and led decisively by President Ilham Aliyev, which ended a conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan that lasted over thirty years, it would have been a remarkable coincidence.’
According to the expert, SOCAR’s oil depot is a key fuel supplier for European markets, and the attack on it represents ‘an escalation of military operations alongside Russia’s information and hybrid warfare against Azerbaijan and its economic interests in Europe, as conducted by Russian media.’
He added: ‘The attack on SOCAR’s facility in the Odessa region on August 8-9 is a horrific act that EU countries should condemn. It sends two messages: this attack is part of the Russian ‘hawk’ circles’ campaign against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, and it reflects the hegemonic ambitions of certain groups in that country regarding the South Caucasus.’
Tase emphasized that the August 8 meeting at the White House irritated some countries, and the subsequent attack was an ‘open military provocation’ against Azerbaijan on Ukrainian territory.
He also called for holding all those responsible for the downing of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane on December 25, 2024, which resulted in 38 deaths and 29 injuries, accountable.
According to the expert, Azerbaijan’s geopolitical interests have always aligned with those of the United States, and the signing of the peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia last week at the White House was ‘the most significant event in the history of American diplomacy and Azerbaijan’s foreign policy since the collapse of the Soviet Union.’
Tase believes that ‘intelligence operations, hybrid warfare, and cyberattacks’ against Azerbaijan, Ukraine, and the United States inevitably lead to a loss of trust and standing in international trade, as well as diminished cultural and economic influence.