Baku warns of Kremlin-linked information campaign targeting Azerbaijan

A coordinated disinformation campaign launched in recent weeks on social media against Azerbaijan, particularly targeting Ilham Aliyev and members of his family, is not the result of spontaneous emotional reactions or isolated online activity, according to informed sources, AzerNEWS reports.

Instead, the campaign is described as systematic, planned, and centrally coordinated, bearing the hallmarks of an organized information provocation. Sources familiar with the matter say the trail of coordination leads directly to the Kremlin, framing the operation as part of a broader hybrid strategy pursued by Russia against Azerbaijan.

According to a reliable source, this marks a new phase in Russia’s hybrid pressure campaign. While earlier stages relied heavily on cyberattacks, the current focus has shifted toward what officials describe as information terrorism, aimed at undermining psychological stability and public confidence.

In previous months, Azerbaijan faced large-scale cyber offensives targeting state institutions, media platforms, and critical infrastructure. Officials say Baku possesses detailed information about the technical architecture of these attacks, including server chains and coordination hubs. The latest shift, however, signals a tactical change: rather than technical disruption, the objective is now societal pressure and psychological impact.

Azerbaijan, sources stress, is closely monitoring developments. Baku is said to be fully aware not only of steps already taken but also of potential next moves. Officials reject any assumption that such actions will go unanswered, emphasizing that the country has built its own security architecture and response mechanisms, including in the information domain.

“Hybrid warfare is silent in its execution, but loud in its consequences,” one source noted, adding that external pressure tactics no longer yield results in Azerbaijan. “This is not the Azerbaijan of the past.”

Officials caution that any belief in Moscow that these actions will pass without a firm response is a dangerous illusion. Azerbaijan, they say, neither accepts pressure nor ignores covert plans, warning that every move carries consequences.