Azerbaijan Detains FSB Officers at Sputnik News Agency Office in Baku

Azerbaijani authorities have detained two representatives of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) at the Baku office of the Sputnik-Azerbaijan news agency, local media APA reported.

The arrests were carried out during an operation by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, according to the APA news agency. Sputnik-Azerbaijan is part of the Russian state media group Rossiya Segodnya, which also includes RT and is widely seen as a tool of Russian foreign propaganda.

The reason for the operation has not been disclosed.

However, earlier this year, the Azerbaijani government ordered Sputnik-Azerbaijan to suspend operations, citing the need to ensure reciprocity for Azerbaijani state media and foreign journalists working in the country.

Authorities had required that the number of foreign journalists operating in Azerbaijan matched the number of Azerbaijani journalists accredited abroad — particularly in Russia.

Despite the order, Sputnik-Azerbaijan reportedly continued its activities, maintaining its editorial staff and operations.

It remains unclear what specific roles the detained FSB officers played within the agency. Intelligence services around the world have historically used media, diplomatic, and trade missions as cover for operations abroad.

The two individuals may have been involved in supervising the outlet’s editorial policy or coordinating information and psychological operations on behalf of Moscow, analysts said.