https://share.google/aimode/vB3Zat47QJUsVLc6s The oily hypocrisy of Ilham Aliyev: Mixing of Azeri and Russian oil to avoid sanctions was done under the personal agreement between Putin and Aliyev, Adnan Ahmadzada is a designated fall guy, arrested just before Aliyev visit to New York . These reports led to sanctions on some Azerbaijani shipping and refining assets in May and July 2025. The timing of the arrest of former SOCAR official Adnan Ahmadzada, days before Aliyev’s visit to New York, has raised questions, though no public statements have linked his arrest to the sanction-busting allegations.While direct evidence of a personal agreement between Vladimir Putin and Ilham Aliyev to mix oi

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The oily hypocrisy of Ilham Aliyev: Mixing of Azeri and Russian oil to avoid sanctions was done under the personal agreement between Putin and Aliyev, Adnan Ahmadzada is a designated fall guy, arrested just before Aliyev visit to New York
. These reports led to sanctions on some Azerbaijani shipping and refining assets in May and July 2025. The timing of the arrest of former SOCAR official Adnan Ahmadzada, days before Aliyev’s visit to New York, has raised questions, though no public statements have linked his arrest to the sanction-busting allegations.While direct evidence of a personal agreement between Vladimir Putin and Ilham Aliyev to mix oil and circumvent sanctions is not publicly available, multiple reports from 2024 and 2025 allege that Azerbaijani entities have facilitated the export of Russian oil to Europe
Allegations of circumventing Russian oil sanctions
The “Azeri backdoor”: Reporting from the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) and Global Witness documented how Russian crude oil was allegedly shipped to Azerbaijan’s STAR refinery in Turkey. The refined products were then sold on to European markets, effectively re-exporting Russian oil and undermining sanctions.
UK and EU sanctions: In response to these allegations, the UK sanctioned the state-owned Azerbaijani tanker Zangezur in May 2025. The EU followed suit with its 18th sanctions package in July 2025, clarifying that it banned imports of refined products made from Russian crude, including from Azerbaijan’s STAR refinery.
Contamination incident: In August 2025, a shipment of Azeri oil was found contaminated with organic chloride upon arrival at a Romanian refinery, rendering it unusable. This led to Romanian authorities considering Russian sabotage as a possibility.
The arrest of Adnan Ahmadzada
Arrested on fraud charges: Adnan Ahmadzada, the former deputy head of SOCAR Investment, was arrested in mid-September 2025 on charges of oil fraud. Reports claim he was mixing “Azeri light petroleum with crude petroleum products in a blatant violation of Azerbaijan’s law”.
Questionable timing: Ahmadzada’s arrest occurred just before Ilham Aliyev’s visit to New York. While there is no public statement linking his arrest to the sanction-busting allegations, the timing has led to speculation that he was made a “fall guy” to deflect international pressure over the sanctions circumvention.
Azerbaijani justification: The government of Azerbaijan has framed Ahmadzada’s arrest as part of a domestic anti-corruption effort.
Missing pieces of the claim
No proof of Aliyev-Putin deal: There is no publicly available evidence of a personal agreement between Vladimir Putin and Ilham Aliyev specifically concerning the mixing of oil to evade sanctions. While the alleged circumvention scheme has been well-documented, a direct agreement has not been confirmed.
No confirmation of “fall guy” status: It is difficult to confirm definitively whether Adnan Ahmadzada was designated as a “fall guy.” The circumstantial evidence—his involvement with SOCAR and the timing of his arrest—is suggestive, but it is not solid proof of the “fall guy” claim.

— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Sep 23, 2025