Heavy fighting has erupted between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, with both civilians and combatants killed.
Armenia has declared martial law and ordered its military to mobilise after a major flare-up in violence with Azerbaijan over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Armenia accused neighboring Azerbaijan of attacking civilian settlements in Nagorno-Karabakh – internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but controlled by Armenian forces – including the main city of Stepanakert. Armenia’s defence ministry said its forces downed two Azerbaijani helicopters and three drones in response to an attack it said began at 04:10 GMT.
The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry posted on its official website at 9:10 a.m. GMT on Sunday morning: “Our troops have launched a whole-front counteroffensive.” The message continued:
According to the information received, 12 OSA anti-aircraft missile systems of Armenian air defense units were destroyed in different directions. An Azerbaijani Air Force combat helicopter was shot down in the direction of Tartar, the crew members are alive.
“The rapid counter-offensive of our troops continues.”
Russia has the most modern weapons in Armenia to thwart the ambitious plans of Turkey and Azerbaijan, while Ankara has managed to open a new front in the post-Mediterranean region.
According to Pentapostagma, since mid-July, Russian transport planes have made a number of covert flights to Armenia, carrying about 400 tonnes of military cargo, as reported.
According to the data, we are talking about modern weapons, including air defense systems, radar for short, medium and long range, electronic suppression systems, long-range artillery systems, including the S-300 air defense system.
Russian experts, for their part, draw attention to the fact that Armenia, unlike Azerbaijan, is a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). Azerbaijan is in conflict with Russia and other CSTO members).
As a member of the CSTO, Armenia will receive all necessary assistance, including heavy weapons. In this context, the claims of the Azeris are completely unfounded, especially in the context of the ongoing attacks on Armenia.
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
Azerbaijan and Armenia have been in conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh since February 1988, when the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region announced its withdrawal from the Azerbaijan SSR.
During the armed conflict in 1992-1994, the Azerbaijani side lost control of Nagorno-Karabakh and the seven areas adjacent to it. Since 1992, negotiations have been conducted within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group on a peaceful settlement of the conflict. The group is led by co-chairs – Russia, USA and France.
In 1994, Azerbaijan, Armenia and the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, through the mediation of Russia, signed the Bishkek Armistice Protocol. At the same time, military operations did not stop there, which periodically renewed.
The most significant exacerbation of the conflict was the four-day war of 2016. Then hundreds of soldiers on both sides became victims.
