Azerbaijan Officially Announces It Will Abandon Russian Military Equipment

The Azerbaijani army is transitioning to NATO standards, which involves the gradual withdrawal of Russian and Soviet military equipment from the armed forces. This has been reported by Azerbaijani and international media outlets.

The new military direction includes the procurement of weapons and equipment from NATO member countries, specifically the United States, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom, as well as the training of personnel with Western systems.

President Ilham Aliyev, during a meeting with a NATO delegation, stated that "Baku is closely cooperating with the Turkish armed forces and military structures of other alliance countries." According to him, Azerbaijan has achieved its primary goal of "restoring liberated territories and modernizing its army."

Aliyev also emphasized that the country must always be prepared for any threat. "If anyone tries to provoke Azerbaijan, they will regret it," the president had said back in August, against the backdrop of escalating relations with Russia.