On September 4, Maria Zakharova, the Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, stated that the release of 13 Russian citizens imprisoned in Azerbaijan could serve as an important step toward normalizing relations with Baku. Zakharova emphasized that the issue was thoroughly discussed at the meeting of the Russian-Azerbaijani intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation held in Astrakhan on August 22, where Russia’s position was presented in detail to the Azerbaijani delegation.

She recalled that Russian consular officers had organized three visits to the detained citizens at the Baku pretrial detention center on July 3, 14, and 23. "A request for a fourth meeting has been sent, but the Azerbaijani side has not yet given its consent. We assume that such consent will be received," Zakharova stated. Zakharova also mentioned that on June 2, the Russian side requested information regarding the health condition of the detainees and the medical care provided to them, but "there has still been no response."