By Rashid Shirinov
The recent Armenian provocation, which resulted in destruction of the Osa surface-to-air missile system of the Armenian Armed Forces by the Azerbaijani side, continues to be widely debated in Armenian media and expert community.
On May 15, an Osa surface-to-air missile system, belonging to the Armenian Air Defense Forces, was taken to a new position on the frontline in the Fuzuli-Khojavand direction, and an attempt was made to take control over the airspace of Azerbaijan.
As a result, the Osa missile system, a re-supply vehicle and personnel of the Armenian Armed Forces were destroyed in order to eliminate the real threat to Azerbaijani aircraft and suppress the enemy’s activity.
This is one of many provocations by Armenia aimed to aggravate the situation on the front line. On April 27, the air defense units of Armenia launched a guided missile from the Osa system in Khojavend-Fuzuli direction of the front. Without hitting any targets, the rocket fell onto an empty section in the territory controlled by Azerbaijan.
Commenting on the recent incident at the contact line, the well-known Russian expert Igor Shatrov told Day.az that today there are many hot spots on the planet; many states have territorial problems that typically arise in the course of violation of the norms of international law by one of the sides. However, in all such conflicts the first step towards a solution was always full and unconditional ceasefire by both sides, noted Shatrov.
“This does not mean that the resolution of the issue will be immediately found, but it is a prerequisite on the way to such a resolution,” the expert said.
Shatrov believes that Armenia will eventually have to fulfill the will of the international community, which is expressed in the four resolutions of the UN Security Council – they demand de-occupation of Azerbaijani territories by Armenia.
“Only this will put an end to the constant provocations on the contact line of troops, which for many years result in losses in manpower and military equipment of both sides,” said Shatrov.
He reminded that Russia is a supporter of the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict by peaceful means and it supports Azerbaijan in the issue of restoration of territorial integrity and inviolability of its borders.
Azerbaijani political scientist Fikrat Sadikhov also commented on the recent provocation of Armenia on the front line. He noted that Armenia is provoking Azerbaijan in every possible way with such attacks.
“In the incident with liquidation of Osa missile system in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, the Armenian side received a blow in response to its provocation. This case has shown the combat capability of the national army and high technical training of our military personnel,” Sadikhov said.
The expert believes that in the future, the political leadership of Armenia will realize that the results of such provocations created in the line of fire can be disastrous for themselves.
Sadikhov also noted that Russia can contribute to the solution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict by putting pressure on its strategic ally Armenia.
“It is not about severing their alliance with this country, but it would be nice to reconsider some priorities and to approach this issue constructively, with the understanding that the development of relations with Azerbaijan is a more profitable process for Russia,” the expert noted.
Armenia broke out a lengthy war against Azerbaijan by laying territorial claims on its South Caucasus neighbor. Since a war in the early 1990s, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.
Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan has repeatedly expressed its consent to come to the negotiating table with Armenia to solve the conflict by peaceful means, but Armenia continues to play for time in order to preserve the status quo in Nagorno-Karabakh. Moreover, Armenia tries to provoke and sabotage the Azerbaijan Armed Forces on the contact line, but receives a strong rebuff.