Vladimir Solovyov, a propagandist for Russia’s state television channel Russia-1, has said that Russia’s full-scale invasion “may not be the last ‘SVO’ of our generation” amid intense diplomatic fallout with Azerbaijan.
SVO is the Russian acronym for “special military operation,” the official term Moscow uses to describe its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
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Solovyov claimed on air during a TV program on Sunday evening that NATO bases may appear in the Caspian Sea, bordered by Azerbaijan and Russia, saying, “We must understand that what is happening in the South Caucasus is a huge problem.”
“This is so dangerous that, if we look at it from a geopolitical standpoint, it may lead to such consequences that this may not be the last ‘SVO’ of our generation,” the Kremlin propagandist continued.
In the same program, Solovyov also claimed that the war will continue because this is in “the interests of the Europeans,” expressing doubts that the summit between Russian leader Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump on Aug. 15 in Alaska will lead to a resolution.
Solovyov has been sanctioned by the UK and the European Union for promoting disinformation and has become notorious for his anti-Ukraine and pro-war polemics, though there are signs his viewership is declining steadily.
The suggestion of military action against Azerbaijan comes amid fraying ties between the South Caucasian country and its northern neighbor.
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Azerbaijan media reported that President Ilham Aliyev is mulling lifting the country’s moratorium on supplying weapons to Ukraine following a telephone conversation with President Volodymyr Zelensky on Aug. 10.
Azerbaijan’s military arsenal reportedly includes artillery systems, multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS), armored vehicles and tanks, though it is still unclear what may be transferred if the arms export ban is lifted.
On Friday, the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia met in the White House to sign a deal brokered by Trump to bring decades of conflict between the rivals to an end, striking a blow to Moscow’s influence in the region.
Russian TV channels did not cover the signing of the peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the presence of the US president in full.
Once a powerful mediator in the South Caucasus, Russia has been embroiled in a painful spat with Azerbaijan since it accidentally shot down an Azerbaijani Airlines plane en route to Grozny in December 2024, killing 38 on board.
Tensions also heightened recently with raids on Azerbaijani diaspora centers in Russia and the murder of two Azeri brothers in Russian custody, as well as Russian strikes on Azerbaijan’s energy sites in Ukraine.
Amid the diplomatic row, Azerbaijan media outlets have launched a tirade of criticism against Putin, and Baku canceled an upcoming visit by Alexei Overchuk, the Russian deputy prime minister.
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