Day: January 12, 2026

Georgia’s Revenue Service said a Liberian-flagged vessel delivered crude oil to Georgia’s Kulevi port from a Russian company, noting that the vessel, its owner, and the cargo are not under international sanctions, with the statement strongly emphasizing state agencies’ sanctions compliance.

According to the agency, the vessel Nostos entered Kulevi on January 8 carrying 40,143 tons of crude oil intended for import customs clearance. The cargo was sent “from a Russian company, through a foreign intermediary, to a Georgian company,” the Revenue Service said in a January 12 statement, withholding the names of the companies.

Much of the agency’s statement focused on sanctions compliance. It said screening conducted by the Maritime Transport Agency “confirmed that no international sanctions apply to the vessel, its owner, or the cargo,” and that the “shipment entered the country in full compliance with legal procedures.”

The Revenue Service added that together with the Maritime Transport Agency, it carries out “constant, coordinated checks” of vessels and vessel owners in relation to international sanctions, and that if a vessel or its owner is on a sanctions list, it “is not permitted to enter Georgia’s ports or undergo customs procedures.” It also said it is “continuously implementing relevant measures and tightening controls” to prevent attempts to use Georgia’s customs territory to “circumvent international sanctions.”

According to vessel-tracking data from VesselFinder, Nostos is as of January 12 in the Black Sea en route to the Russian port of Novorossiysk, with an expected arrival on January 13.

In a separate case, Georgia’s Border Police reported on January 10 the brief detention of a tanker sailing under the Panamanian flag for violating maritime navigation rules. The ship had previously been registered under a Russian flag.

The statements come amid continued questions about whether Georgia may be facilitating the circumvention of sanctions on Russian oil.

Also Read:

• 08/01/2026 – Georgian Citizens Reportedly Among Crew of US-Seized Russian-Flagged Oil Tanker
• 24/12/2025 – iFact: Russian Oil Products May Be Reaching Netherlands, Switzerland, Greece via Georgia
• 05/12/2025 – TI-Georgia: Kulevi Oil Refinery May Raise Sanctions Evasion Suspicions in West
• 22/10/2025 – Russian Company Supplies First Oil Cargo to Georgia’s New Kulevi Refinery

‘Attempt to justify use of force’: Armenia reacts to Russia’s state TV host  JAMnews

Azerbaijan, Sudan discuss co-op agenda, security issues  Latest news from Azerbaijan

Solovyov’s proposal to wage war on Armenia

Armenian politicians and political analysts have reacted sharply to another provocative statement by Russian TV host Vladimir Solovyov, stressing the absurdity and inadmissibility of threats to Armenia’s sovereignty.

The Kremlin-linked propagandist—two of whose author programmes have already been blocked from Armenia’s public multiplex over anti-Armenian content—this time turned to Russian-Armenian relations. He said that losing Armenia would be as much a problem for Russia as losing its sphere of influence in Ukraine. Moreover, Solovyov effectively threatened Armenia with “starting a special military operation” on its territory.

“We must very clearly formulate our goals and objectives. We must explain: the games are over. To hell with international law and the international order. If, for our national security, it was necessary to start a special military operation on the territory of Ukraine, why, based on the same considerations, can we not start a special military operation in other points of our zone of influence?” he said.

In Armenian expert circles, alongside criticism of Solovyov’s remarks, there are calls for the Armenian foreign ministry to hand a note of protest to the Russian ambassador. Official Yerevan has so far remained silent.

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Solovyov: ‘Losing Armenia would be a huge problem’

Russian TV host Vladimir Solovyov first touched on events unfolding in Venezuela since the start of the year, before turning to Armenia and Ukraine:

“We must not lose our positions, but what matters most to us is our near abroad. What is happening in Armenia is far more painful for us than what is happening in Venezuela. Losing Armenia — that would be a huge problem. What is happening in our Asia, in Middle Asia, Central Asia as it is called — that could also become a huge problem for us. […]

Perhaps we need to formulate our national doctrine and clearly state what our sphere of influence is. Then everything will be clear.

We need to stop casting pearls before swine and stop caring about what Europe thinks. We need to stop feeling sorry for Ukrainians. The brutality shown in the first week would have led to the conflict no longer existing. And the losses would have been far smaller — on both sides.”

“Silence the enemy’s voice”: Protesters in Armenia demand shutdown of Russian TV channels

A protest took place in Yerevan outside the Ministry of High-Tech Industry, which has the authority to make such a decision. Details and video from the protest

Expert opinion

Political analyst Hovsep Khurshudyan stressed:

“Figures like Solovyov and Simonyan [referring to Margarita Simonyan, the editor-in-chief of RT] would not be so brazen or so loose-tongued about Armenia if there were not a large detachment of Kremlin slaves here — a fifth column made up of agents and traitors.

That is why it is important to neutralise all of them as soon as possible — from KGB officers disguised as priests to ‘philanthropic’ pickpockets in the form of Russian and Russia-aligned oligarchs, with whom this fifth column dreams of a Russian ‘bourgeois-democratic revolution’.”

Political scientist Lilit Dallakyan noted:

“I’m surprised that Armenian society is irritated by Solovyov’s words. Given his ‘positive reputation’ worldwide, he is advertising Armenia.

I think that since those who used to pay him for his affection towards Armenia are now having problems, he has found another source of income.

Moreover, when you are humiliated every day in Iran, Venezuela and Syria while talking about traditional values; when you have serious problems in your family; when your tankers are seized by your ‘beloved’ US president and you cannot even squeak; when your president makes excuses to Aliyev and hands over an agent of influence; and when Kupiansk, captured five times, still cannot be captured — you have to vent your anger somewhere.

In short, he is a gift for those who criticise Russian policy. And he constantly puts his Armenian colleagues in an awkward position.”

Armenia suspends broadcast of Russia’s Channel One: here’s why

The official argument cited is the telecommunication company’s failure to meet its financial obligations, but in recent months, the content of the broadcasts has been a frequent topic of discussion in Armenia

A political consultation was held between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan and Sudan, Azernews reports, citing the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.

The Chamber of Accounts has presented its forecasts for expected revenues from Azerbaijan’s oil and gas fields in 2026, Azernews reports.

Azerbaijan cuts spending on fruit and vegetable imports from Turkey by nearly 10%  FreshPlaza

Former Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili has been arrested and sentenced to prison, the Prosecutor General’s Office of Georgia has announced, Azernews reports.