Russian peacekeepers were killed in Nagorno-Karabakh, and Azerbaijan announced the restoration of sovereignty

The Ministry of Defense of Russia announced the death of its peacekeepers in the area of the settlement of Janyatag in Nagorno-Karabakh.

According to the agency, the vehicle of the Russian peacekeeping contingent was returning from the observation post when it was fired upon from small arms. All who were in the car died. The department does not report the number of those killed.

Neither the Azerbaijani nor the Armenian side has yet commented on this.

Meanwhile, the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, said that after "anti-terrorist measures" in Nagorno-Karabakh, the country has restored its sovereignty. According to him, the troops achieved success and set tasks. Aliyev announced the beginning of the disarmament of the army of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.

• On September 19, 2023, Azerbaijan announced an "anti-terrorist operation" in Nagorno-Karabakh. The declared goal was the restoration of the constitutional order. The countryʼs Ministry of Defense cited attacks and terrorist attacks against forces in the region as the reason.
• The troops began to attack the facilities of the Armenian army and Armenian armed units in Karabakh. Also, the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan announced an attack on the place of deployment of the Russian contingent in the Khojavend district in order to destroy the Armenian radar there. The fighting lasted only a day.
• On the afternoon of September 20, the authorities of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) and the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan announced a ceasefire. Azerbaijan demanded the withdrawal of the Armenian army from the region (Yerevan denies the presence of its troops there), the disbandment of NKR units, and the government of the unrecognized republic. The leadership of the NKR agreed to the withdrawal of troops and the disbanding of their units. In fact, the NKR capitulated. This will allow the Azerbaijani army to take full control of the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.
• During the day of fighting, the Azerbaijani army managed to capture a number of heights and transport hubs. According to various estimates, from 32 to 100 people, including civilians, were killed in Karabakh during the day, and more than 200 people were injured. Mostly they are Armenians. The civil infrastructure of the city of Stepanakert was destroyed. Azerbaijan assured that it strikes only at military targets, but warned about the proximity of the Armenian military to civilian objects. There is no reliable information about the losses of the Azerbaijani army. She recognized so far only one dead person.
• On September 21, a meeting between representatives of the local Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh and representatives of the Azerbaijani authorities is planned in the city of Yevlakh. They will discuss the reintegration of the region "within the framework of the Constitution of Azerbaijan", the rights and security of the Armenians of the region. In fact, the future existence of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic will be decided at the negotiations.
• Meanwhile, rallies are being held in Yerevan demanding that the Armenian authorities intervene in the situation. Prime Minister Nikola Pashinyan said that he would not send troops to the region. He has repeatedly emphasized that there will be no Armenian military in Nagorno-Karabakh from 2021 (according to the agreement after the two-week war in 2020 ). Pashinyan stated that his task was to prevent Armenia from being drawn into an armed conflict.
• Back in May of this year, Pashinyan said that his country is ready to recognize Nagorno-Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan.