Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev has apologized for the deaths of Russian peacekeepers killed during Baku’s military campaign this week to regain control of the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, the Kremlinsaid Thursday.
“[Aliyev] emphasized that the most thorough investigation into the incident will be carried out and all those responsible will be duly punished,” the Kremlin said in a statement.
Russia’s Defense Ministrysaid one of its vehicles came under small-arms fire while returning from an observation post on Wednesday, near a Karabakh village that bears the Azeri name of Janyatag and the Armenian name of Chankatagh.
“As a result of the shelling, the Russian servicemen in the vehicle were killed,” the ministry said without specifying the number of peacekeepers who perished.
Rybar, a pro-war channel on the Telegram messaging app with reportedlinks in Russia’s military,said two Russian soldiers were inside the vehicle when it was hit, though this information could not be independently confirmed.
One of the soldiers was identified as Ivan Kovgan, deputy chief of the Northern Fleet’s submarine forces, a Russian Navy veterans’ club reported Thursday.
Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry identified the vehicle as a Russian-made UAV Patriot SUV.
“In order to investigate all the causes of the incident, the investigative authorities of Azerbaijan and Russia are working on the spot,” the Azeri ministry said in a statement.
It called for “patience” during the probe and expressed condolences to the Russian military and the soldiers’ relatives.
Russia’s Defense Ministry, meanwhile, said its peacekeepers helped 5,000 of the 10,000 residents who fled Karabakh during Azerbaijan’s two-day military operation.
Russia sent the peacekeepers to mountainous Nagorno-Karabakh in 2020 as part of a deal to end a six-week war in which Azerbaijan recaptured parts of the region.
On the same day as the 2020 ceasefire agreement, an Azerbaijani anti-air missile shot down a Russian Mi-24 helicopter gunship as it was escorting a Russian military convoy, killing two crewmen.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Armenian separatists seized Nagorno-Karabakh — internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan — which sparked a war that left 30,000 people dead and displaced hundreds of thousands.
Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via APIn this image made from video released by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service, a Russian peacekeeper guards a gate into a camp near Stepanakert in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Hovhannisyan revealed the dire situation for civilians in Nagorno-Karabakh, saying they were trapped with no means of evacuation due to Azerbaijan’s blockade
Armenia has raised the alarm at the United Nations, accusing Azerbaijan of carrying out “ethnic cleansing” and committing crimes against humanity during its recent takeover of the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Armenian ambassador Andranik Hovhannisyan, addressing the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, emphasized that his country had previously warned of the imminent threat of “ethnic cleansing” in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Hovhannisyan revealed the dire situation for civilians in Nagorno-Karabakh, stating that they were trapped with no means of evacuation due to Azerbaijan’s blockade, which cut off the only lifeline connecting them to Armenia.
He asserted that this was not merely a conflict situation but a full-fledged crime against humanity that demanded international intervention.
MARUT VANYAN / UGC / AFPSmoke rising from artillery strikes on a hilltop outside Stepanakert, the capital of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Azerbaijan claimed to have regained control of the territory, ending decades of separatist rule, with the separatists consenting to disarmament in the face of clashes that reportedly resulted in the deaths of around 200 people.
Dilara Abdullayeva, representing Azerbaijan at the Human Rights Council, defended her country’s actions, stating that they were “forced to take local counterterrorism measures.” She emphasized that these measures were exclusively directed at illegal military formations and fortifications.
AP Photo/Siranush SargsyanA girl embraces her relative sitting in a shelter during shelling in the breakaway territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan.
Armenia and Azerbaijan have been embroiled in conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh since the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The hostilities have witnessed violations of human rights on both sides.
Concerns have mounted regarding a potential new refugee crisis as the Armenian population of Karabakh fears displacement.
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has addressed the nation.
Address to the nation by President Ilham Aliyev
– My fellow citizens,
As you know, yesterday morning, due to a terrorist act committed by the Armenian armed forces, six Azerbaijani citizens – two civilians, became victims of a mine terror. It is not the first time that Armenia has committed a terrorist act against us. Since the end of the Second Karabakh War, more than 300 Azerbaijani citizens have become victims of mine terrorism or have been seriously injured.
Yesterday’s terrorist attack was one such incident. After the Second Karabakh War, mines were illegally delivered from Armenia to the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan and planted in various locations until the Lachin border checkpoint was established. Some time ago, the mines discovered by the Azerbaijan Armed Forces were shown to representatives of the Russian peacekeeping contingent and the Russia-Türkiye Monitoring Center, and the issue of taking serious measures was raised with and demanded from them. These mines were produced in Armenia in 2021. So, it once again shows that after the Second Karabakh War, these mines were deliberately delivered to carry out terrorist acts against Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan duly punished the enemy by immediately taking necessary steps. Local antiterrorist measures were started, and all pending objectives were completed in one day. The terrorists were punished, and it was shown to Armenia again that all of their provocations would be met with a fitting response.
As a result of the initiation and successful completion of anti-terrorist measures, Azerbaijan regained its sovereignty at around 1:00 p.m. yesterday.
Our servicemen have shown extraordinary heroism, bravery and professionalism during the anti-terrorist measures. In challenging terrain and despite the presence of fortifications created over the years of engineering works by the enemy, given that the enemy’s positions are located on hills and in favorable places, our servicemen once again, as I mentioned, showed heroism and professionalism and achieved significant military success in all directions in a short time. A large part of the army of the Armenian state, which was illegally stationed on the territory of Azerbaijan and has not been withdrawn to this day despite the obligation by the Armenian state, has been completely destroyed. Military equipment was obliterated and incapacitated.
Before the operation, I once again gave a strict order to all our military units that the Armenian population living in the Karabakh region should not be affected by the anti-terrorist measures and that the civilian population be protected. We have achieved this by using high-precision weapons. At the same time, civilians felt protected entirely thanks to the professionalism of our Armed Forces. In the meantime, I ordered that the civilian infrastructure not be targeted and only the military infrastructure be destroyed. I want to say again that the professionalism and technical capabilities of our Army and all of our Armed Forces made it possible to fulfill this duty with honor. Once again, Azerbaijani soldiers and officers showed high professionalism and moral qualities.
As a result of short-term local anti-terrorist measures, I would like to note again that most of the enemy’s weapons and equipment have been incapacitated. I should also state that more than a hundred tanks and armored vehicles belonging to the Armenian Army were illegally stationed in the territory of Azerbaijan. Electronic warfare systems were deployed. More than two hundred cannons and artillery installations, the most advanced anti-aircraft equipment, were deployed. Contrary to the Trilateral Statement of November 10, 2020, Armenia did not withdraw its armed forces, manpower, and equipment from our territory for three years. However, during numerous contacts with the leadership of Armenia and from the high rostrums of international events, I repeatedly turned to this issue. I expressed the Azerbaijani state’s rightful dissatisfaction. The November 10 Trilateral Statement was an act of capitulation of the Armenian state, and according to this act of capitulation, Armenia had to withdraw its armed forces from all Azerbaijani territories. But it refused.
Unfortunately, we had martyrs during anti-terror measures. May Allah rest the souls of our martyrs in peace! We have wounded soldiers and officers. May Allah grant recovery to them. They sacrificed their lives for the Motherland, justice, and Azerbaijan’s sovereignty. Their blessed memory will live forever in our hearts.
Of course, the successful progress of the operation seriously worried the Armenian state and the illegal junta regime operating under its auspices. As the operation unfolded, we received various vague signals from intermediaries. As a result of the successful offensive of our Armed Forces, these signals became more intense. This morning, the information provided by international partners was that illegal armed units, those units of the Armenian Army, are ready to accept our terms. I conveyed our terms to the United States Secretary of State yesterday, who called me. I was asked what is needed to stop the anti-terror measures. I said that the units of the Armenian Army illegally settled in our territory should lay down their weapons, be disarmed, and completely withdrawn from our territory. Simultaneously, they should hand over all weapons and equipment. Only in that case can Azerbaijan stop anti-terror measures. Otherwise, we will go until the end, and the enemy is very aware of our strength and determination.
In the morning, we were informed that our terms had been accepted. Moreover, representatives of the Armenian residents living in Karabakh, who refused to meet our representatives several months ago, were ready to meet in Yevlakh, the place we proposed. My response was that Azerbaijan always stands by its words. Both our friends and enemies know this. Our word is equally valuable as our signature, and if our terms are accepted, our military measures will stop. Today, a ceasefire was declared at 13:00. Unfortunately, the opposing side did not observe the ceasefire thoroughly, and our positions came under fire after the declaration of the ceasefire. Nevertheless, all our conditions were accepted in principle, and I must note that it is five minutes past six now.
The process of withdrawal of Armenia’s illegal armed units from their positions has already begun. In addition, they have accepted our terms and started laying down their arms. It begs the question – who benefited from causing this situation? After all, immediately after the Second Karabakh War, we repeatedly appealed to the Armenian leadership, their patrons abroad, and other parties, expressing our legitimate concern and saying to them that the continued presence of the Armenian armed forces on the territory of Azerbaijan was illegal and should stop. We were saying that the illegal junta should fold up its so-called flag, worth no more than a piece of cloth, and vacate our lands. It is our sovereign right.
Karabakh is the territory of Azerbaijan, and the whole world knows it, including the Armenian leadership itself. Whereas he once said, “Karabakh is Armenia, full stop,” now he says, “Karabakh is Azerbaijan”. In fact, not only does he say that, but he also does not forget to mention the dimensions of our territory. Indeed, he did not do it of his own free will. The “Iron Fist” forced him to do it, but the facts are apparent. After Armenia has recognized Karabakh as an integral part of Azerbaijan, what status can the criminal regime that has been calling the shots in Karabakh for 30 years have? What state attributes can there be? What elections can there be? Despite all the trilateral verbal agreements reached after the Second Karabakh War, fake “elections” were held in Karabakh on September 9, and a fake “president” was elected. That person immediately declared that they would pursue the status issue. Perhaps they had forgotten my words. When the Second Karabakh War ended, and Armenia threw in the towel, was brought to its knees, and signed the act of capitulation, I said that the status went to hell. For some time after the war, we did not hear any nonsense about the status. But as this fear slowly dissipated, revengeful forces started emerging again. Therefore, all these factors are further evidence that the regime of the illegal criminal junta has become impertinent and impudent. They forgot that they were living in the territory of Azerbaijan. Therefore, all our steps are legitimate, legal, and fair, and we are both responsible and proud. Again, the anti-terror measures were carried out with high professionalism and accuracy so that the civilian population was not affected and the civil infrastructure was not damaged. Only enemy positions, their weapons and equipment were destroyed.
And now, I am sure that the emergence of a new situation in our region is inevitable. After the surrender of the criminal junta, this source of tension, this den of poison, has already been consigned to history. The Armenian population of Karabakh can finally breathe a sigh of relief. I said this before, and I want to repeat it: the Armenian population of Karabakh are our citizens. Armenian nationalists, war criminals, and the so-called leaders of Armenia and Karabakh took these people hostage and poisoned their brains. They concocted endless lies about Azerbaijan and its people, brainwashed and poisoned them. I am sure that the Armenian population living in Karabakh will soon see a change for the better. We intend to build a life together based on peace, mutual understanding, and mutual respect. We have no problems with the Armenian people. We have no enmity.
Despite all the injustices and crimes the criminal Armenian regime committed, we have never blamed the Armenian people for those crimes. We did not blame the Armenian people for the Khojaly genocide, the destruction of our towns and villages, and the digging of graves. We accused the elements and leaders of the criminal regime, and we will bring them to justice. Some have already received their deserved punishment, and others will follow suit.
In two days, during a meeting of representatives of the Karabakh community with my representative in Yevlakh, we will convey to them our visions of future coexistence. All their rights will be guaranteed: educational rights, cultural rights, religious rights, and municipal electoral rights because Azerbaijan is a free society. Azerbaijan is a multi-ethnic, multi-confessional state. It is our great asset. Representatives of every nationality living in Azerbaijan can see this. There is no need to explain that. It is our way of life. There has never been and will never be discrimination on religious and ethnic grounds in Azerbaijan, and the Second Karabakh War showed it again. Representatives of all nationalities, representatives of all ethnic groups, all confessions united as one fist – for Azerbaijan, for dignity, for the Motherland! Therefore, look at this beautiful atmosphere; this is a natural environment, and we are inviting the Armenian population of Karabakh to enjoy it. We are ready to implement various social programs. We are rebuilding all of Karabakh and East Zangezur. Look how much we have done in just two years.
In two years, not even 1 percent of what has been done in that region for 30 years was accomplished – power plants, bridges, tunnels, reservoirs, residential buildings, villages, and cities are being built. In just two years. Without receiving any help, we alone. I said that when the Second Karabakh War ended, we would turn Karabakh and East Zangezur into a paradise, and we are turning it into a paradise; everyone who visits there can see that. We will create the same conditions in Khankendi, Aghdara, Khojavand, in the villages, in Askeran. This is all in our hands. So, this is our proposal, and today was the turning point. The junta, the bloodsucking leeches, have already been completely exposed and surrendered. They threw in the towel!
Today, a new historic chance has been created for ordinary people living in Karabakh. Take advantage of that chance. We are ready for this, and the Azerbaijani people know this, and I am sure that the Armenian people also know that I am a man of my word. We propose this, and I hope that our proposal will be accepted. This proposal is based on logic, historical justice, international law and future development and is calculated for future growth.
During this period, today and yesterday, Armenia has unexpectedly shown political competence, which we appreciate. We see this as an essential factor, and the events that happened today and yesterday will also positively impact the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
I want to hope that the steps we have taken and the results of anti-terrorist measures will allow us the opportunity to finally remove the obstacle to the peace talks created by Armenia, whatever you call it, and this will create a new reality in the South Caucasus, will create peace, lasting peace. We must ensure that the other side does not live with revanchist ideas, and they must also rest assured that we do not have sights for their land. We recognize their territorial integrity and have declared it, and we recognize the territorial integrity of all countries. We demanded that from them and the stubborn Armenians behind them. Those who are not with them in a difficult moment, who are located far away in Europe, should know – the farther they are from our region, the more comfortable the region will be; breathe a sigh of relief, and we are offering that. We propose that the future of South Caucasus countries should be based on peace, tranquility and development. We suggest that the forces, the fraudsters, and corrupt politicians sitting far from our region that pursue their political agenda and use the Armenian people as a tool and exploit them to leave us alone. Those who sit on the other side of the world and make groundless accusations against us should get their hands off us. Let the South Caucasus, this region, which has been a place of fighting, wars and bloody clashes for centuries, breathe easy. We have had enough! We demand this, and I want to say that the position of the Armenian state yesterday and today gives hope. It gives hope that the day is not far when Azerbaijan and Armenia will settle the issues between them, sign a peace treaty, and countries of the South Caucasus start working on future cooperation in a trilateral format. But at the same time, I must also say that those who despise us, those who despise our land, and those who set their sights on our lands should never forget that the Iron Fist is in place and will always be! No one can speak to us in the language of dictate and ultimatums! Let no one forget this! Don’t forget that Karabakh is Azerbaijan!
Published 09/20/2023Published September 20, 2023last updated 09/20/2023last updated September 20, 2023
Azerbaijan’s president said in a TV address that the military operation was over, and that separatist fighters had accepted demands that they disarm and depart the region. He also seemd to offer Armenia an olive branch.
Russian peacekeepers have been evacuating thousands of civilians from Nagorno-KarabakhImage: Russian Defence Ministry/TASS/IMAGOSkip next section What you need to know
Ilham Aliyev declares military intervention over, says Azerbaijan’s sovereignty restored
Aliyev also said he valued Armenia not having intervened in the operation, and that this was a good sign for peace talks
Azerbaijan’s Defense MInistry had announced a cease-fire earlier in the day, brokered by Russia; Armenia had said it was not involved
Russian peacekeepers said they evacuated 2,000 civilians in Nagorno-Karabakh, with crowds seen waiting at the airport
Armenia’s Ministry of Defense has accused Azerbaijan’s armed forces of firing on some of its army outposts near the town of Sotk, situated around 140 kilometers (80 miles) from Karabakh.
“Azerbaijani army units fired light weapons on the Armenian combat outposts near Sotk”, the Armenian Defense Ministry posted on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
The reports come after Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev declared the end of the military operation in Nagorno-Karabakh.
The White House expressed concern over the humanitarian situation after Azerbaijan declared an end to a military operation in Armenian-controlled Nagorno-Karabakh.
“We’re obviously still watching very, very closely the worsening humanitarian situation inside Nagorno-Karabakh,” US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters.
Kirby said the situation “has been exacerbated by the hostilities perpetrated by Azerbaijan” and there were now concerns of a refugee crisis but that reports of a ceasefire were “positive.”
France’s presidential office said Emmanuel Macron called Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev after the military operation in Nagorno-Karabakh.
President Macron “condemned Azerbaijan’s decision to use force … at the risk of worsening the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh and compromising ongoing efforts to achieve a fair and lasting peace.”
He “stressed the need to respect” the cease-fire and “to provide guarantees on the rights and security” of people in the region “in line with international law.”
Macron is in France at present, even amid the UN General Assembly, for the delayed state visit of King Charles III. The original appointment was postponed amid pension reform protests in France.
Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev gave a televised address on Wednesday evening, as a cease-fire in Nagorno-Karabakh appeared to hold.
He said that Armenian-backed separatist forces were withdrawing and that most of their military hardware had been destroyed in a military offensive launched barely 36 hours earlier.
“Illegal Armenian units have begun the process of withdrawal from their positions. They accepted our terms and began surrendering their arms,” Aliyev said.
President Aliyev appeared on television saying Azerbaijan had restored its sovereignty but also trying to reassure citizens in Nagorno-KarabakhImage: Press Service of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Alijew/REUTERS
Aliyev said Azerbaijan had regained full sovereignty in the operation, and he tried to assure residents of Nagorno-Karabakh that he wished to integrate the population and turn the region into a “paradise.”
He said Azerbaijan had nothing against ethnic Armenians in the region, saying “they are our citizens,” but only against their “criminal” separatist leadership.
Aliyev also said that Baku valued the fact that Armenia had not sought to intervene in the military operation, instead remaining “watchful.” He said this impoved the prospects for peace talks between the two longstanding foes.
Charles Michel, president of the European Council, said that he had spoken to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in a phone call on Wednesday morning.
Michel wrote on social media that he had spoken to Aliyev “to ensure full cease-fire and safe, dignified treatment by Azerbaijan of [Nagorno-]Karabakh Armenians.”
“Their rights and security need to be credibly guaranteed. Access needed for immediate humanitarian assistance,” he added.
Baku said on Wednesday that its aim was to “reintegrate” ethnic Armenians living in the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave and to normalize ties with Yerevan.
“Azerbaijan’s agenda is about peaceful reintegration of [Nagorno-]Karabakh Armenians, and Azerbaijan also supports the normalization process between Armenia and Azerbaijan,” presidential foreign policy advisor Hikmet Hajiyev said.
He also said that Azerbaijani forces would offer “safe passage” to Armenian separatist fighters as part of their agreement to disarm.
“Safe passage to appropriate assembly points will also be provided by the Azerbaijani side,” Hajiyev told journalists. “All the actions on the ground are coordinated with Russian peacekeepers.”
The presidential advisor also argued that there was no need for the UN Security Council to hold a special meeting on the conflict, saying that he believed it would be “counter-effective and detrimental” to the cease-fire.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that Wednesday’s cease-fire had appeared to have resulted in a major reduction in hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh.
“The latest information I have received from Nagorno-Karabakh is that the intensity of fighting has greatly decreased,” the prime minister said in a statement.
“We hope that the military escalation will not continue,” he added, stressing the importance of ensuring the protection of ethnic Armenians living in the enclave that Azerbaijani forces began to attack on Tuesday.
He also called on Russian peacekeeping forces to ensure the safety of Armenians there.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was hopeful for a peaceful solution to the outbreak of hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh, according to comments made during a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi that were shown on state television on Wednesday.
“We are in close contact with all the sides of the conflict: with authorities in Yerevan, with [separatist Nagorno-Karabakh] authorities in Stepanakert and in Baku,” Putin said.
“I hope that we can reach de-escalation and transfer a solution to this problem onto a peaceful course,” he added.
It was not clear if the comments were made before or after the announcement of the cease-fire.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Wednesday shortly after the announcement of the cease-fire between Azerbaijan and the Armenian separatists in Nagorno-Karabakh, that his administration had not been involved in its implementation.
“Armenia did not participate in drafting the text of the cease-fire declaration in Nagorno-Karabakh under the mediation of Russian peacekeepers,” Pashinyan said.
He also stressed that Armenia “does not have an army” in the contested region, and had not had any forces there since August 2021.
In a TV address, the prime minister also emphasized the importance of maintaining the cease-fire.
“We hope that military escalation will not continue, because, in the current conditions, it is very important to ensure stability and stop combat actions,” Pashinyan said.
Armenian separatist forces in Nagorno-Karabakh said they had agreed to the terms of a cease-fire proposed by Russian peacekeepers.
It comes after the armed group suffered a series of setbacks at the hands of the Azerbaijani military.
Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry confirmed the cease-fire agreement, saying the Armenian separatists had agreed to “lay down their weapons, abandon combat positions and military posts and completely disarm,” while all weapons and heavy equipment were being handed over to the Azerbaijani army.
The agreement was expected to come into effect at 1 p.m. local time (0900 UTC) and peace talks between Azerbaijani officials and the separatists are now scheduled to take place on Thursday in the Azerbaijani city of Yevlakh.
Moscow said that over 2,000 people, including 1,049 children, have been evacuatedImage: Russian Defence Ministry/TASS/IMAGO
Russian peacekeepers said they evacuated more than 2,000 civilians including over 1,000 children from the “most dangerous” areas in Nagorno-Karabakh, a day after Azerbaijan launched a military operation in the disputed region.
“The Russian peacekeeping contingent is continuing to evacuate the civilian population of Nagorno-Karabakh from the most dangerous areas,” the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.
Earlier, Armenian Foreign Ministry called on Russian peacekeepers stationed in Nagorno-Karabakh to “take clear and unequivocal steps to stop” the fighting.
Pope Francis called for all sides to “silence their weapons” in the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan.
“I address my appeal to all parties involved and to the international community to silence their weapons and make every effort to find peaceful solutions for the good of the people and respect for human dignity,” the 86-year-old head of the Catholic Church told his weekly audience.
Since Azerbaijan began its military operation in Nagorno-Karabakh on Tuesday, the US, Russia, the EU and the United Nations have called on the conflicting parties to immediately end hostilities.
US soldiers will complete a joint military exercise with Armenian forces in Armenia on Wednesday as planned, and it was not affected by the launch of a major military operation by neighbouring Azerbaijan, a US military spokesperson said.
“We were aware that they were conducting operations but we didn’t assess there to be any risk to our soldiers at the time and so they remained for the duration of the exercise,” the spokesperson said.
Damage in a residential area after a military strike on Stepanakert in Nagorno-KarabakhImage: Oldhike/TASS/dpa/picture alliance
A former top official in Nagorno-Karabakh’s ethnic Armenian administration said that close to 100 people had been killed and hundreds more injured in the breakaway region after Azerbaijan started what he cast as a “big war.”
“This is a big war— Azerbaijan has started a full operation,” Ruben Vardanyan, former head of the breakaway region’s government, told Reuters from Karabakh.
“They (Baku) are basically saying to us that we need to leave, not stay here, or accept that this is a part of Azerbaijan — this is basically a typical ethnical cleansing operation and a war with a lot of civilians now being killed,” he said.
Meanwhile, authorities in Stepanakert, the main city of Nagorno-Karabakh, urged residents not to flee. “At this time there is no need to move, we urge you to follow safety rules and stay in basements and bomb shelters,” the mayor’s office said in a statement, pointing to signs of “panic” among locals.
Azerbaijan rejects accusations that its aim is to ethnically cleanse Nagorno-Karabakh and says it will protect the rights of the area’s ethnic Armenian civilians under its own constitution.
Azerbaijan’s government says it is determined however to remove the breakaway region’s political and military structures.
“The Secretary-General calls in the strongest terms for an immediate end to the fighting, de-escalation, and stricter observance of the 2020 ceasefire and principles of international humanitarian law,” said Guterres’ spokesperson Stephane Dujarric.
France on Tuesday called for the UN Security Council to meet urgently on the crisis, which came just as world leaders gathered in New York for the annual United Nation’s General Assembly.
Published 09/20/2023Published September 20, 2023last updated 09/20/2023last updated September 20, 2023
Azerbaijan’s president said in a TV address that the military operation was over, and that separatist fighters had accepted demands that they disarm and depart the region. He also seemd to offer Armenia an olive branch.
Russian peacekeepers have been evacuating thousands of civilians from Nagorno-KarabakhImage: Russian Defence Ministry/TASS/IMAGOSkip next section What you need to know
Ilham Aliyev declares military intervention over, says Azerbaijan’s sovereignty restored
Aliyev also said he valued Armenia not having intervened in the operation, and that this was a good sign for peace talks
Azerbaijan’s Defense MInistry had announced a cease-fire earlier in the day, brokered by Russia; Armenia had said it was not involved
Russian peacekeepers said they evacuated 2,000 civilians in Nagorno-Karabakh, with crowds seen waiting at the airport
Armenia’s Ministry of Defense has accused Azerbaijan’s armed forces of firing on some of its army outposts near the town of Sotk, situated around 140 kilometers (80 miles) from Karabakh.
“Azerbaijani army units fired light weapons on the Armenian combat outposts near Sotk”, the Armenian Defense Ministry posted on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
The reports come after Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev declared the end of the military operation in Nagorno-Karabakh.
The White House expressed concern over the humanitarian situation after Azerbaijan declared an end to a military operation in Armenian-controlled Nagorno-Karabakh.
“We’re obviously still watching very, very closely the worsening humanitarian situation inside Nagorno-Karabakh,” US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters.
Kirby said the situation “has been exacerbated by the hostilities perpetrated by Azerbaijan” and there were now concerns of a refugee crisis but that reports of a ceasefire were “positive.”
France’s presidential office said Emmanuel Macron called Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev after the military operation in Nagorno-Karabakh.
President Macron “condemned Azerbaijan’s decision to use force … at the risk of worsening the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh and compromising ongoing efforts to achieve a fair and lasting peace.”
He “stressed the need to respect” the cease-fire and “to provide guarantees on the rights and security” of people in the region “in line with international law.”
Macron is in France at present, even amid the UN General Assembly, for the delayed state visit of King Charles III. The original appointment was postponed amid pension reform protests in France.
Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev gave a televised address on Wednesday evening, as a cease-fire in Nagorno-Karabakh appeared to hold.
He said that Armenian-backed separatist forces were withdrawing and that most of their military hardware had been destroyed in a military offensive launched barely 36 hours earlier.
“Illegal Armenian units have begun the process of withdrawal from their positions. They accepted our terms and began surrendering their arms,” Aliyev said.
President Aliyev appeared on television saying Azerbaijan had restored its sovereignty but also trying to reassure citizens in Nagorno-KarabakhImage: Press Service of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Alijew/REUTERS
Aliyev said Azerbaijan had regained full sovereignty in the operation, and he tried to assure residents of Nagorno-Karabakh that he wished to integrate the population and turn the region into a “paradise.”
He said Azerbaijan had nothing against ethnic Armenians in the region, saying “they are our citizens,” but only against their “criminal” separatist leadership.
Aliyev also said that Baku valued the fact that Armenia had not sought to intervene in the military operation, instead remaining “watchful.” He said this impoved the prospects for peace talks between the two longstanding foes.
Charles Michel, president of the European Council, said that he had spoken to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in a phone call on Wednesday morning.
Michel wrote on social media that he had spoken to Aliyev “to ensure full cease-fire and safe, dignified treatment by Azerbaijan of [Nagorno-]Karabakh Armenians.”
“Their rights and security need to be credibly guaranteed. Access needed for immediate humanitarian assistance,” he added.
Baku said on Wednesday that its aim was to “reintegrate” ethnic Armenians living in the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave and to normalize ties with Yerevan.
“Azerbaijan’s agenda is about peaceful reintegration of [Nagorno-]Karabakh Armenians, and Azerbaijan also supports the normalization process between Armenia and Azerbaijan,” presidential foreign policy advisor Hikmet Hajiyev said.
He also said that Azerbaijani forces would offer “safe passage” to Armenian separatist fighters as part of their agreement to disarm.
“Safe passage to appropriate assembly points will also be provided by the Azerbaijani side,” Hajiyev told journalists. “All the actions on the ground are coordinated with Russian peacekeepers.”
The presidential advisor also argued that there was no need for the UN Security Council to hold a special meeting on the conflict, saying that he believed it would be “counter-effective and detrimental” to the cease-fire.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that Wednesday’s cease-fire had appeared to have resulted in a major reduction in hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh.
“The latest information I have received from Nagorno-Karabakh is that the intensity of fighting has greatly decreased,” the prime minister said in a statement.
“We hope that the military escalation will not continue,” he added, stressing the importance of ensuring the protection of ethnic Armenians living in the enclave that Azerbaijani forces began to attack on Tuesday.
He also called on Russian peacekeeping forces to ensure the safety of Armenians there.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was hopeful for a peaceful solution to the outbreak of hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh, according to comments made during a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi that were shown on state television on Wednesday.
“We are in close contact with all the sides of the conflict: with authorities in Yerevan, with [separatist Nagorno-Karabakh] authorities in Stepanakert and in Baku,” Putin said.
“I hope that we can reach de-escalation and transfer a solution to this problem onto a peaceful course,” he added.
It was not clear if the comments were made before or after the announcement of the cease-fire.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Wednesday shortly after the announcement of the cease-fire between Azerbaijan and the Armenian separatists in Nagorno-Karabakh, that his administration had not been involved in its implementation.
“Armenia did not participate in drafting the text of the cease-fire declaration in Nagorno-Karabakh under the mediation of Russian peacekeepers,” Pashinyan said.
He also stressed that Armenia “does not have an army” in the contested region, and had not had any forces there since August 2021.
In a TV address, the prime minister also emphasized the importance of maintaining the cease-fire.
“We hope that military escalation will not continue, because, in the current conditions, it is very important to ensure stability and stop combat actions,” Pashinyan said.
Armenian separatist forces in Nagorno-Karabakh said they had agreed to the terms of a cease-fire proposed by Russian peacekeepers.
It comes after the armed group suffered a series of setbacks at the hands of the Azerbaijani military.
Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry confirmed the cease-fire agreement, saying the Armenian separatists had agreed to “lay down their weapons, abandon combat positions and military posts and completely disarm,” while all weapons and heavy equipment were being handed over to the Azerbaijani army.
The agreement was expected to come into effect at 1 p.m. local time (0900 UTC) and peace talks between Azerbaijani officials and the separatists are now scheduled to take place on Thursday in the Azerbaijani city of Yevlakh.
Moscow said that over 2,000 people, including 1,049 children, have been evacuatedImage: Russian Defence Ministry/TASS/IMAGO
Russian peacekeepers said they evacuated more than 2,000 civilians including over 1,000 children from the “most dangerous” areas in Nagorno-Karabakh, a day after Azerbaijan launched a military operation in the disputed region.
“The Russian peacekeeping contingent is continuing to evacuate the civilian population of Nagorno-Karabakh from the most dangerous areas,” the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.
Earlier, Armenian Foreign Ministry called on Russian peacekeepers stationed in Nagorno-Karabakh to “take clear and unequivocal steps to stop” the fighting.
Pope Francis called for all sides to “silence their weapons” in the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan.
“I address my appeal to all parties involved and to the international community to silence their weapons and make every effort to find peaceful solutions for the good of the people and respect for human dignity,” the 86-year-old head of the Catholic Church told his weekly audience.
Since Azerbaijan began its military operation in Nagorno-Karabakh on Tuesday, the US, Russia, the EU and the United Nations have called on the conflicting parties to immediately end hostilities.
US soldiers will complete a joint military exercise with Armenian forces in Armenia on Wednesday as planned, and it was not affected by the launch of a major military operation by neighbouring Azerbaijan, a US military spokesperson said.
“We were aware that they were conducting operations but we didn’t assess there to be any risk to our soldiers at the time and so they remained for the duration of the exercise,” the spokesperson said.
Damage in a residential area after a military strike on Stepanakert in Nagorno-KarabakhImage: Oldhike/TASS/dpa/picture alliance
A former top official in Nagorno-Karabakh’s ethnic Armenian administration said that close to 100 people had been killed and hundreds more injured in the breakaway region after Azerbaijan started what he cast as a “big war.”
“This is a big war— Azerbaijan has started a full operation,” Ruben Vardanyan, former head of the breakaway region’s government, told Reuters from Karabakh.
“They (Baku) are basically saying to us that we need to leave, not stay here, or accept that this is a part of Azerbaijan — this is basically a typical ethnical cleansing operation and a war with a lot of civilians now being killed,” he said.
Meanwhile, authorities in Stepanakert, the main city of Nagorno-Karabakh, urged residents not to flee. “At this time there is no need to move, we urge you to follow safety rules and stay in basements and bomb shelters,” the mayor’s office said in a statement, pointing to signs of “panic” among locals.
Azerbaijan rejects accusations that its aim is to ethnically cleanse Nagorno-Karabakh and says it will protect the rights of the area’s ethnic Armenian civilians under its own constitution.
Azerbaijan’s government says it is determined however to remove the breakaway region’s political and military structures.
“The Secretary-General calls in the strongest terms for an immediate end to the fighting, de-escalation, and stricter observance of the 2020 ceasefire and principles of international humanitarian law,” said Guterres’ spokesperson Stephane Dujarric.
France on Tuesday called for the UN Security Council to meet urgently on the crisis, which came just as world leaders gathered in New York for the annual United Nation’s General Assembly.
GORIS, Armenia, Sept 21 (Reuters) – Azerbaijan began talks with ethnic Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh on Thursday after the breakaway region was forced into a surrender that stoked calls for the resignation in Armenia of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
Photographs sent to Reuters showed officials from both sides seated at a small round table in the Azerbaijani city of Yevlakh.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Wednesday said his “iron fist” had consigned the idea of a separate ethnic Armenian Karabakh to history.
Karabakh Armenians said they had no choice but to accept Azerbaijan’s terms after Aliyev’s army broke through their lines in a 24-hour offensive.
The ethnic Armenian authorities in Karabakh’s main city, which Armenians call Stepanakert and Azeris call Khankendi, said there had been gunfire in the city on Thursday, and sources told Reuters they had heard shots.
The Karabakh authorities accused Azerbaijani forces of violating the ceasefire and advised residents to stay indoors.
Baku’s defence ministry said the report that its forces had attacked Khankendi was “completely false and has the purpose of disinformation”.
Under the ceasefire agreement, as outlined by Azerbaijan, breakaway Armenian forces must disband and disarm, and the region of 120,000 people will be fully integrated into Azerbaijan.
Baku said it was represented at the talks in Yevlakh by a member of parliament, Ramin Mammadov. Spokespeople for the Karabakh Armenians did not answer repeated phone calls.
Azerbaijan’s rapid victory represented the culmination of decades of struggle to regain control of Karabakh, whose ethnic Armenian population broke away in a major war in the 1990s that coincided with the collapse of the Soviet Union.
“After the surrender of the criminal junta, this source of tension, this den of poison, has already been consigned to history,” Aliyev said in an address to the nation on Wednesday night, focusing his anger on Karabakh’s leadership.
“The Armenian population of Karabakh can finally breathe a sigh of relief. I said this before, and I want to repeat it: the Armenian population of Karabakh are our citizens.”
Aliyev said “war criminals” had tried to poison the minds of Karabakh’s Armenians, who, he said, would now have their religious and cultural rights respected.
But thousands nevertheless massed at Stepanakert’s airport, while others took shelter with Russian peacekeepers.
REGION HAS TURBULENT HISTORY
Azerbaijan’s victory is yet another twist to the tumultuous history of mountainous Nagorno-Karabakh, which over the centuries has come under the sway of Persians, Turks, Russians, Ottomans and Soviets, and where Armenians and Azeris have been in conflict for more than a century.
It could also change the delicate balance of power in the South Caucasus region, a patchwork of nations and ethnicities where Russia, the United States, Turkey and Iran are jostling for influence.
Known as Artsakh by Armenians, the territory is internationally recognised as part of mainly Muslim Azerbaijan, but its ethnic Armenian inhabitants are Christians.
The ceasefire that Azerbaijan said Karabakh Armenians had agreed to would amount to the collapse of the Armenian fight to etch out a separate entity within Azerbaijan, though it was not immediately clear how much support the deal had in Karabakh.
Azerbaijan and Armenia both claimed the territory after the fall of the Russian Empire in 1917 and since the Soviet Union crumbled they have fought two wars over it.
In 2020, after decades of skirmishes, Azerbaijan – buoyed by revenues from its oil and gas exports and backed by Turkey – began a military operation that became the Second Karabakh War.
It won a resounding victory in 44 days, taking back parts of Karabakh and areas around it. Since then, it has tightened its grip.
In the Armenian capital Yerevan, thousands of protesters gathered on Wednesday to denounce their government’s failure to protect Karabakh.
Many demanded the resignation of Pashinyan, who presided over defeat to Azerbaijan in 2020 but nevertheless won re-election several months later.
Samvel Sargsyan, 21, a student at the Theatre and Cinema University in Yerevan, who was born in Stepanakert, said: “We need Armenia to join up with Artsakh and fight.”
“Armenians can’t accept another country, another religion. Why should we? Why should Armenia give a part of itself to another nation?”
Reporting by Nailia Bagirova and Felix Light; Writing by Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Mark Trevelyan
Published: 10:05 BST, 20 September 2023 | Updated: 14:21 BST, 20 September 2023
Separatist Armenian forces in Nagorno-Karabakh have agreed to a ceasefire, bringing to end two days of bitter fighting after Azerbaijan launched intense military strikes to take control of the disputed enclave.
Azerbaijani authorities said they had halted their ‘anti-terrorist operation’ once separatist officials announced they were laying down arms, dampening fears that decades-long tensions in the region could erupt into a full-scale war.
An hour after the truce was announced, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that the intensity of the hostilities in the region had ‘decreased drastically’.
The Azerbaijani defence ministry announced the start of the operation hours after four soldiers and two civilians died in landmine explosions in the region which is disputed by Azerbaijan and Armenia.
Azerbaijan insisted that ‘only legitimate military targets’ were being ‘incapacitated,’ however ethnic Armenian officials in Nagorno-Karabakh said Stepanakert and other villages had come ‘under intense shelling’, killing dozens and injuring hundreds.
In this Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2020 file photo, an ethnic Armenian soldier stands guard next to Nagorno-Karabakh’s flag atop of the hill near Charektar in the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh at a new border with Kalbajar district turned over to Azerbaijan
Drone strikes and artillery shells reportedly hit areas around Stepanakert yesterday
Ethnic Armenians in the area have criticised world powers for standing by and failing to act as hostilities boiled over, claiming civilians were under threat.
Nagorno-Karabakh human rights ombudsman Geghan Stepanyan said that 32 people, including seven civilians, were killed and more than 200 others were wounded.
Stepanyan earlier said one child was among those killed, and 11 children were among the wounded.
The hostilities also exacerbated an already grim humanitarian situation for residents who have suffered food shortages for months after Azerbaijani blockades.
Separatist forces on the ground said Azerbaijan had broken through their lines and seized a number of heights and strategic road junctions.
The self-styled ‘Republic of Artsakh’ said that in such circumstances, it had no choice but to cease hostilities from 1 pm local time on Wednesday.
‘The authorities of the Republic of Artsakh accept the proposal of the command of the Russian peacekeeping contingent to cease fire,’ it said.
‘With the mediation of the command of the Russian peacekeeping contingent stationed in Nagorno-Karabakh, an agreement was reached on the complete cessation of hostilities from 13.00 on September 20, 2023.’
Russia evacuated more than 2,000 civilians from the most dangerous areas of Nagorno-Karabakh, the TASS news agency reports Moscow’s Defence Ministry as saying.
Nagorno-Karabakh shared a picture which it said shows damaged apartment buildings in Stepanakert following the offensive by Azerbaijan
Russia evacuated more than 2,000 civilians from the most dangerous areas of Nagorno-Karabakh, the TASS news agency reports
‘All evacuated residents are provided with places for temporary accommodation and hot meals. In addition, doctors – specialists from the special-purpose medical detachment – provided assistance to residents who were injured,’ the ministry said.
Azerbaijan began its operation against Nagorno-Karabakh on Tuesday after some of its troops were killed in what Baku said were attacks from the mountainous region.
Talks between Azerbaijani officials and the breakaway region’s ethnic Armenian authorities on its ‘re-integration’ into Azerbaijan have now been scheduled to take place on Thursday in the Azerbaijani city of Yevlakh.
Nagorno-Karabakh is recognised internationally as part of Azerbaijan.
The enclave and sizable surrounding territories were under ethnic Armenian control since the 1994 end of a separatist war, but Azerbaijan regained the territories and parts of Nagorno-Karabakh during the 2020 fighting.
The Azerbaijani defence ministry announced the start of the operation hours after four soldiers and two civilians died in landmine explosions in the region which is disputed by Azerbaijan and Armenia
That ended with an armistice placing Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh.
However, Azerbaijan alleges that Armenia has smuggled in weapons since then. The claims led to a blockade of the road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia, causing food and medicine shortages.
Thousands of protesters gathered Tuesday in central Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, blocking streets and demanding that authorities defend Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh. Some clashed with police, who reportedly used stun grenades.
A total of 34 people – 16 policemen and 18 civilians – were injured in the clashes, Armenia’s Health Ministry said. About half of them continue to receive medical assistance, the ministry said.
Ramin Mammadov, responsible for contacts with Armenian residents living in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, participates in negotiations with representatives of the Armenian minority of Karabakh in Yevlakh, according to Azerbaijan in Focus, reporting Trend.
The Armenian residents of Karabakh are represented at the talks by David Melkumyan and Sergey Martirosyan.
Representatives of the Armenian residents of Karabakh accompanied by the Russian peacekeeping contingent arrived in Yevlakh earlier this morning.
Ramin Mammadov was appointed responsible for contacts with Armenian residents living in the Karabakh region of the Republic of Azerbaijan. On March 1, in the city of Khojaly, at the headquarters of the peacekeeping contingent of the Russian Federation temporarily stationed on the territory of Azerbaijan, the parliamentarian met with representatives of Armenians living in the Karabakh region of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
Following the meeting held on March 1 in the city of Khojaly, and the invitation presented on March 13, as proposed by the Presidential Administration of the Republic of Azerbaijan once again, the meeting with the representatives of the Armenian residents living in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan to discuss the reintegration issues, based on the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan and its laws, is being held on September 21, 2023, in Yevlakh.
Meanwhile, in order to ensure the provisions of the Trilateral Statement, to stop large-scale provocations in the Karabakh economic region, to disarm and withdraw formations of the Armenian armed forces from the territories of Azerbaijan, to neutralize their military infrastructure, to ensure the safety of the peaceful population returning to the territories liberated from occupation, civil servants involved in construction and reconstruction works, and our military personnel, as well as to restore the constitutional order of the Republic of Azerbaijan, anti-terrorist measures have been launched in the region.
Taking into account the appeal of the representatives of the Armenian population of Karabakh through the Russian peacekeeping contingent, on September 20, 2023, at 13:00 (GMT+4), an agreement was reached on the cessation of local anti-terrorist activities under the following conditions: Armenian armed forces formations, illegal Armenian armed formations located in Azerbaijan’s Karabakh region, lay down their weapons, leave their combat positions and military posts, and completely disarm, Armenian armed forces formations leave the territory of Azerbaijan, illegal Armenian armed formations are disbanded.
The small but mighty nation of Armenia is in an interesting geopolitical neighborhood. On its western border is Turkey, a NATO ally but longtime enemy. To its east is another enemy, Azerbaijan, with which Armenia just fought over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, claimed by both countries.
In the north is Georgia which is in a never ending war of words and spies (and sometimes actual wars) with Russia. Both Georgia and Armenia were part of the Soviet Union, but even when Russia invaded Georgia in 2008, support for Russia in Armenia was high.
To Armenia south is Iran, which, for the moment, is friendly to Russia-aligned Armenia. But in late September 2023, Armenia will host the United States for a joint military exercise. The move is far more threatening to Russia, which hosts Russian military forces as part of its Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) membership. The exercises are the latest in a split between Russia and Armenia, which could permanently break their relations – or worse.
Armenia and Russia have retained close relations since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. Armenia joined Russia in the Commonwealth of Independent States, and joined the economic military and mutual aid collaboration of the CSTO in 1997. But since Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan was elected to lead Armenia in 2018, the country has been slowly breaking away from Russia’s sphere of influence.
When fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan broke out over the Nagorno-Karabakh region once again in 2020, Russian President Vladimir Putin didn’t immediately intervene, cooling relations between the two even more. Pashinyan went further in September 2023.
“Moscow has been unable to deliver and is in the process of winding down its role in the wider South Caucasus region,” Pashinyan said. “The Russian Federation cannot meet Armenia’s security needs. This example should demonstrate to us that dependence on just one partner in security matters is a strategic mistake.”
The Prime Minister’s words come after Armenia announced it sent the first lady of the country to deliver humanitarian aid to Ukraine. It has also begun to further distance itself from the Russia-led CSTO. The military drills are just Armenia’s latest effort at realigning itself with the West.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the drills are “cause for concern” and Moscow will “monitor the situation.”
Armenia now finds itself in a Ukraine-like situation. Tired of dealing with Russian hegemony, which has caused a lot of economic hardships in Armenia, the Armenian government is beginning to look further and further West toward the U.S. and EU.
But Russia has built up a lot of armed forces inside Armenia. Even worse, Russians fleeing the war in Ukraine have moved to Armenia in droves, meaning Moscow has the ability to hide its own people among the refugees there, a potential hidden “fifth column” like the tactic used to seize Crimea.
Enemies on three borders, a country potentially filled with pro-Russian sympathizers and an ever-worsening lack of external will to keep Armenia independent could mean Armenia loses its independence entirely. It could be one more former Soviet republic absorbed by Putin’s dream of rebuilding the USSR.
President Aliyev appeared on television saying Azerbaijan had restored its sovereignty but also trying to reassure citizens in Nagorno-KarabakhImage: Press Service of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Alijew/REUTERS 
Moscow said that over 2,000 people, including 1,049 children, have been evacuatedImage: Russian Defence Ministry/TASS/IMAGO
Damage in a residential area after a military strike on Stepanakert in Nagorno-KarabakhImage: Oldhike/TASS/dpa/picture alliance
Families in a shelter during the shelling of Stepanakert in Nagorno-KarabakhImage: Siranush Sargsyan/AP/picture alliance
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