The Russian Foreign Ministry announced plans to discuss the release of 11 Russians with Azerbaijan.

During the visit of Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov to Moscow, the Russian Foreign Ministry will raise the issue of the release of 11 Russians detained in Baku. This was announced on June 29 by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin.

"Of course, we will raise the issue of the early release of 11 Russian citizens who were detained in Baku on June 30 — July 1 last year. This issue is being discussed through relevant structures," he said in an interview with RTVI TV channel.

Galuzin said that the dates of the Azerbaijani minister's visit have not yet been determined. The Deputy Foreign Minister also expressed hope that the release of the arrested Russians would take place "in the near future."

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On February 15, Galuzin said that the release of 11 Russians could be a gesture of goodwill to Baku. He specified that this could further strengthen the multifaceted cooperation between the two countries.

On June 30, 2025, Azerbaijani security forces conducted an operation in the office of Sputnik Azerbaijan. At the same time, two Russian journalists were detained in Baku: Igor Kartavykh, the head of the agency's editorial office, and Evgeny Belousov, the editor-in-chief. Later, eight more Russian citizens were detained in the city. On July 2 of the same year, the Russian Embassy in Baku reported that Russians had received complaints about the use of physical violence, document checks and visits by unknown persons.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, commenting on the incident, said on July 2, 2025 that Russia intends to respect the legitimate interests of its citizens.