In Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, law enforcement officers searched the office of the Russian propaganda agency “Sputnik-Azerbaijan”. During the operation of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, two employees of the Federal Security Service of Russia (FSB), who worked for this agency, were detained. About this informs Vesti.az.
“Despite the official suspension of Sputnik-Azerbaijan, the agency actually continued its work, and employees regularly visited the office.” – the message says.
“Sputnik-Azerbaijan” is part of the Russian state media holding “Rossiya Segodnya”, created in 2013 to promote the interests of the Russian Federation outside the country. His project, Sputnik Agency and Radio, was launched in 2014 and broadcasts news in more than 30 languages.
This resource has been repeatedly accused of spreading disinformation and propaganda in the interests of the Kremlin. In 2022, after the beginning of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation in Ukraine, the European Union banned the broadcasting of Sputnik on its territory. And in September 2023, Moldova expelled the head of Sputnik Moldova due to suspicions of propaganda activities.
The searches coincided with a high-profile event in Yekaterinburg, where Russian security forces detained nine Azerbaijani citizens on suspicion of contract killings. During this operation, two brothers died and several others were hospitalized.
