YEREVAN — Armenia again accused Azerbaijan of failing to respect a Russian-mediated ceasefire agreement as heavy fighting in around Nagorno-Karabakh continued on Friday.
The Armenian Defense Ministry reported in the morning fresh Azerbaijani offensive military operations along the Karabakh “line of contact.” A ministry spokesman said Azerbaijani forces are carrying out “large-scale attacks” at northern sections of the frontline.
Artsakh Defense Army said its frontline troops “took appropriate measures to repel the enemy offensive and reinforce the stability of defense lines.”
The RA Ministry of Defense reconfirmed that the RA Armed Forces and the Artsakh Defense Army divisions are ready to observe the conditions outlined for the humanitarian ceasefire agreement signed in Moscow on October 10 as well as to implement the agreed measures for the monitoring of that ceasefire.
In this regard, the Ministry urged the international community, particularly the co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, to use their statements and appeals to directly address the party to this conflict which is trying to avoid the ceasefire and the establishment of its verification measures.
Azeri offensive repelled troops destroyed
“Although it is obvious that Turkey is behind these decisions and actions by Azerbaijan, it is Azerbaijan’s leadership that will be bear full responsibility for irreversible military-political consequences of those actions,” Mnatsakanian said after talks with his visiting Greek counterpart, Nikos Dendias.
Mnatsakanian also accused the Azerbaijani army of deliberately targeting civilian targets in Karabakh and even Armenia. He said at least 32 Armenia civilians have been killed since the start of the war on September 27.
Speaking at a joint news conference with Mnatsakanian, Dendias added his voice to the mediators’ calls for an immediate and unconditional halt to the fighting. “Let me repeat: the ceasefire must be strictly observed,” said the Greek foreign minister.
Last week, Greece recalled its ambassador to Azerbaijan after what it described as “unfounded and offensive” claims by the Azeri government that Athens tolerates pro-Armenian militants on its soil.
2 comments
This is a war by Russia against Armenia for petty reasons: Armenia, a loyal ally, reached out to the West for economic reasons as it always had since 1991/
Russia could stop this war with threats to take out the Azeri gas and oil pipelines.
But Putin would rather punish Armenia than kick out pan-Turkism and jihadi from Russia’s backyard.
His priorities are all backwards.
Russia has lost whatever Armenian confidence had in it. Armenia was a loyal ally, more than any other Russia will ever have. Name one other. You can’t. Belarus is on its way out.
This was all because Putin threw a temper tantrum against Armenia and Artsakh.
The Armenian/Russian defense pact calls for Russian assistance when Armenia is attacked and is not the aggressor. Accordingly, Armenia is the aggressor because it is helping Artsakh Armenians from Azeri- and Turkic-engineered genocide. Accordingly, Turkey’s hiring of mercenaries to fight Armenians is not considered as Turkish aggression on Armenia.
Had Putin foresight, he would have put aside the above pact and sent his troops to Armenia as a Russia-saving step. If Armenia goes, the Islamic terrorists (Chechen, Circassian, Dagestan, etc.) will be encouraged to rise against Russia. The defense of Russia begins in Armenia. If Armenia goes under, Turkey would reach the Caspian Sea and become a greater threat to Russia.