Day: August 11, 2025

During the ongoing court hearing at the Baku Military Court August 11, the victim Aybaniz Orujova testified that she was taken hostage along with all her family members, including her twin sons, two days after the Khojaly genocide in 1992, Report informs.

FSB: Armen Sargsyan’s murder committed by suicide bomber

The murder of Armen Sargsyan, head of the Boxing Federation of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic and founder of the volunteer battalion, in the Alye Parusa residential complex in Moscow was committed by a suicide bomber, TASS reports, citing the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB). According to an FSB operative, since early 2025, Ukrainian special services have increasingly resorted to sabotage operations in which the perpetrators are eliminated along with their targets, as was previously the case in Stavropol and Luhansk (TASS).

Intended effect: The material perpetuates the narrative that Ukrainian special services are involved in terrorist attacks in Russia. This reinforces the perception of Ukraine as a source of direct terrorist threat and shapes the idea that the attacks are systemic and targeted.

TASS: Albania steps up cooperation with NATO, supports Kyiv

In an interview with TASS, Russian Ambassador to Albania Alexey Zaitsev noted that Tirana is expanding NATO’s military infrastructure, including the opening of an airbase in Kuchovo in 2024 and the modernization of transport and maritime facilities for the alliance’s needs. According to him, Albania is providing active political, military and humanitarian support to Kyiv, including through the supply of armored vehicles, helicopters, and ammunition, and hopes to complete negotiations on EU accession by 2027 and become a member by 2030. He stressed that official Tirana is oriented toward the West and shows no desire to normalize relations with Moscow, although humanitarian and cultural contacts remain (TASS).

Intended effect: The article portrays Albania as an active participant in the anti-Russian bloc, emphasizing its military and political support for Ukraine, its involvement in NATO projects, and its reliance on decisions made in Brussels.

FSB claims Ukrainian special services recruit pensioners for terrorist attacks in Russia

The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) reported that Ukrainian special services deceived five Russian women of retirement age into helping prepare the murders of military personnel with disguised explosive devices. The agency stated that the pensioners were robbed of their money and homes under the pretext of providing assistance. They were also subjected to psychological pressure and forced to spy on military personnel, store homemade explosive devices, and deliver them to their targets personally. This turned the elderly women into “human bombs.” The FSB claims that the SBU, the GUR, and nationalist groups are exploiting Russians as suicide bombers to eliminate witnesses without paying the promised reward (ria.ru).

Intended effect: The material reinforces the narrative of the Ukrainian special services’ cruelty and cynicism, portraying them as willing to deceive Russian citizens, including vulnerable elderly people, into carrying out terrorist attacks. This creates an image of a morally unconstrained enemy in the minds of the audience.

RIA: Iran threatens to counter ‘Trump Route’ and Zangezur project

Yadollah Javani, IRGC’s deputy political commander for political affairs, said that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan repeated “Zelenskyy’s mistake” by trusting the U.S. He threatened that Tehran would defend its national interests from the Zangezur project by any means. The statement came after Pashinyan’s meeting with Donald Trump and Aliyev in Washington, where the parties agreed on a peace agreement and cooperation with the U.S. to create the Trump Route, connecting Azerbaijan with Nakhchivan via Armenia. Iranian authorities, including Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, emphasized that this corridor threatens regional interests and could strengthen NATO’s presence. Therefore, it will not be allowed to be implemented (ria.ru).

Intended effect: The article portrays the U.S. as a destabilizing force in the South Caucasus and conveys Iran’s stance that it is ready to take tough measures against projects it deems threatening to its security. The article also depicts Pashinyan and Aliyev as leaders acting to the detriment of neighboring countries.

Russia’s Putin and Armenian PM Pashinyan Brief Each Other by Phone on US Meetings, Kremlin Says  U.S. News & World Report

Balaheydar Karimov, the head coach of the Azerbaijani national triathlon team and a dedicated official, has achieved a significant milestone in his career by being appointed to an international triathlon competition for the very first time, Azernews reports.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan held a telephone conversation with Iranian President Masoud Pezekian, during which they discussed the recent agreements reached in Washington, Azernews reports via Armenian media.

A group of 30 Ukrainian children brought to Azerbaijan have begun receiving comprehensive rehabilitation services at the Gabala Children’s Rehabilitation Center, which operates under the State Medical-Social Expertise and Rehabilitation Agency of the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Population.