Russia Will Not Supply Azerbaijan with Bal-E Missile System

The authorities of the Russian Federation have refused to supply Azerbaijan with the Bal-E coastal missile system, according to reports from kommersant.ru.

The media outlet states that the Russian side has concluded that even the export version of this missile system poses a potential threat to the ships of the Caspian fleet located in Russian territorial waters.

Azerbaijan has been interested in purchasing the Bal-E coastal missile system since 2014.

Another high-ranking source has confirmed that the issue of supplying the Bal-E is currently not being discussed with the Azerbaijani armed forces due to "geopolitical nuances." In recent years, the self-guiding warhead of the X-35 class missile of this system has been updated for striking not only maritime but also land targets.

"We would not want this weapon to be used in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," elaborated a source from the media outlet.

According to experts, Moscow will not suffer significant losses from the cancellation of this deal, as Baku has purchased $5 billion worth of Russian weapons and military technology in recent years. The cancellation of the contract is also not expected to harm Russian-Azerbaijani relations.