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Since the end of the Soviet Union, Armenia and Azerbaijan have been fighting for the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Now a dangerous escalation threatens there. After new fighting, Armenia has declared a state of war for the entire country.
After heavy fighting in the southern Caucasus Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone with hostile Azerbaijan, Armenia has declared a state of war for the entire country. This was announced by the head of the Armenian government, Nikol Pashinyan. In a post on Facebook, the president also announced the general mobilization. He called on his compatriots to prepare to defend the “Holy Homeland”.
That morning heavy clashes broke out between Armenia and Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh. The capital, Stepanakert, had been bombed, people should be safe, said local authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh. They had already declared a state of war for the region.
Russia calls for an immediate ceasefire
Both sides blamed each other for the fighting. The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said the army had launched a “counteroffensive” “to stop Armenia’s military activities and protect the safety of the people.”
For his part, Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan announced in a Facebook post this morning that the Azerbaijani armed forces had launched an offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh. “All responsibility for this rests with the political-military leadership of Azerbaijan,” he wrote. Therefore, Armenia used helicopters and combat drones. The Defense Ministry spoke of two Azerbaijani helicopters shot down and several tanks destroyed. The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry rejected this information.
There are said to be numerous injuries and about 10 deaths among soldiers in the southern Caucasus area. It is probably the worst escalation in decades. Russia called for an immediate ceasefire in the region. The EU also called for an immediate end to all fighting. EU Council President Charles Michel said on Sunday that the conflicting parties must “return to the negotiating table immediately.” Information about the recent fighting was cause for “great concern”.
Turkey blames Armenia
Turkey, on the other hand, immediately sided with Azerbaijan. Ruling AKP party spokesman Ömer Celik vehemently condemned “Armenia’s attack on Azerbaijan” on Twitter. That is another Armenian provocation. Turkey will support Azerbaijan, he said, adding: “Armenia is playing with fire and endangering regional peace.” Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin also accused Armenia on Twitter of violating the ceasefire “by targeting civilian settlements.”
Conflict since 1991
The Nagorno-Karabakh region, controlled by Armenia, belongs to the Islamic region of Azerbaijan according to international law. The conflict over the region broke out after the end of the Soviet Union in 1991, when Nagorno-Karabakh held the status of an autonomous region of the USSR. In 1992, war broke out in the area, killing some 30,000 people and displacing hundreds of thousands over the next two years. At that time, Azerbaijan had lost control of the Christian Armenian-inhabited area of Karabakh. The ceasefire agreed in 1994 has been repeatedly broken to this day. The conflict last broke out in 2016.
The Foreign Ministry does not recognize the region as the “Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh” and describes it as “areas of the Republic of Azerbaijan occupied by Armenian forces.” Armenia depends on Russia as a protective power, which has stationed thousands of soldiers and weapons there.
