Babayeva died on Friday in an accident at one of the training grounds in Crimea, where she was exercising military sports shooting.
"We are shocked by the tragic death of the head of the Rossiya Sedognya's regional department in Crimea, journalist and political analyst, Svetlana Babayeva, with whom we have been connected for many years of joint work. She did not only cover the history of the establishment of 'New Russia', experiencing this historic era, but also was creating it herself," the minister said in a letter to Babyeva's family and friends and to the media group's staff.
The foreign minister called Babayeva "a real professional and a true friend."