Category: 2020

Shushi stands and will stand – Armenia’s assistant deputy DM

Garo Vardanian
Aysor, Armenia
Nov 8 2020

“Shushi stands and will stand, glory to our army!”

Armenia’s assistant deputy defense minister Grisha Aghajanyan wrote on Facebook.

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Video of “capturing” the Shushi Fortress is fake

Lilit Nahapetian
Public Radio of Armenia
Nov 8 2020

Photos and videos spread in the Azerbaijani media today were presented as evidence of “capturing of Shushi.”

The Armenian Information Checking Center reports that the fortress seen in the videos and the photos has nothing to do with the medieval fortress of Shushi.

In the video, a group of men fasten the flags of Azerbaijan and Turkey at the head of the fortress.

However, the men seen in the video are neither in military clothes, nor armed, they are in civilian clothes.


There is no destruction in the city that rises from a height in the next few seconds. The question arises, where did those hot battles take place?

Finally, just by comparing the fortresses seen in Shushi and in the video, we will see that they are different.

https://en.armradio.am/2020/11/08/video-of-capturing-the-shushi-fortress-is-fake/

Armenians protest at Lincoln Memorial, raise awareness about Azerbaijani-Turkish violence

Arsine Chaltikian
Public Radio of Armenia
Nov 8 2020
Armenians protest at Lincoln Memorial, raise awareness about Azerbaijani-Turkish violence

Armenians held a silent protest at the Lincoln Memorial today to raise awareness about the ongoing war in Artsakh.

The rally was organized by the  AYF Washington DC “Ani” Chapter.

The protesters urged to stop the Azerbaijani-Turkish aggression against Armenians and called for recognition of Artsakh.



Baku reports attacks by Armenia in two Azerbaijani districts

Kanayan Tamar
TASS, Russia
Nov 8 2020
The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry reports that Armenian armed forces have been shelling settlements in the Tartar and Agdam districts

BAKU, November 8. /TASS/. The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry has reported attacks by the Armenian armed forces on several settlements in two districts of Azerbaijan.

“Starting 16:30 (15:30 Moscow time – TASS) November 8, the Armenian armed forces have been shelling settlements in the Tartar and Agdam districts. The Azerbaijani army is taking measures to suppress enemy fire,” the message published on the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry’s Telegram channel informs.

Renewed clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia erupted on September 27, with intense battles raging in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The area experienced flare-ups of violence in the summer of 2014, in April 2016 and this past July. Azerbaijan and Armenia have imposed martial law and launched mobilization efforts. Both parties to the conflict have reported casualties, among them civilians. Hostilities in the region continue despite the previously reached ceasefire agreements.

The conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, a disputed territory that had been part of Azerbaijan before the Soviet Union break-up, but primarily populated by ethnic Armenians, broke out in February 1988 after the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region announced its withdrawal from the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic. In 1992-1994, tensions boiled over and exploded into large-scale military action for control over the enclave and seven adjacent territories after Azerbaijan lost control of them. Talks on the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement have been ongoing since 1992 under the OSCE Minsk Group, led by its three co-chairs – Russia, France and the United States.

JP: Thousands flee fighting between Azerbaijan and Armenia in Stepanakert

Eduard Nalbandian
Jerusalem Post
Nov 8 2020
By SETH J. FRANTZMAN  

NOVEMBER 8, 2020 16:35


Video on Sunday showed civilians fleeing the fighting as for almost a month and a half fighting has been taking place between Azerbaijan and Armenian forces in the besieged city.

The territory is administered by Armenians and is supposed to be an autonomous region inside Azerbaijan but the recent dispute has led Azerbaijan to try to take control of it from Armenian forces.

For those on the ground, the military dispute has been harrowing. Tens of thousands have fled fighting, with civilians being shelled on both sides. However, Azerbaijan forces have made gains in recent weeks and after initial slow progress in October, the forces now appear poised to take key civilian areas, such as Shusha, and even Stepanakert.  

Azerbaijan has benefited from massive support from Turkey, including Turkish drones, as well as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV’s) that it has purchased from Israel over the years. It has used them to devastating effect against the Russian-supplied equipment that Armenia went to war with, neutralizing most of the air defenses of the Artsakh Republic, the area that Armenia claims and controls.

Russia, Turkey and Iran have all watched the fighting and have been happy to let it grind on and attempts by Moscow to broker a ceasefire have failed, as did attempts by the US. America has shown little interest in the conflict.  

The conflict has also led to tensions between Israel and Armenia, as Armenians have accused Israel of supplying military hardware to Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan has been a key partner of Israel, a strategic relationship built on decades of friendship.

Iran is wary of the fighting near its border as Turkey has sent Syrian extremist mercenaries to fight Armenia. Russia has done the usual of trying to weaken all sides to force them to come to Moscow to partition the area.
This was Moscow’s approach in Libya and Syria: It ends up cutting a deal with Turkey and getting everyone to be dependent on Russia. Clearly, Armenia now realizes that it will eventually lose and it now needs Russia more than ever. Turkey also needs Russia because it is buying its S-400 air defense system.

While US President-elect Joe Biden was celebrating yesterday, Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan was speaking with Russia’s Vladimir Putin about dividing Nagorno-Karabakh. Turkey’s AK Party was a keen supporter of US President Donald Trump and Erdogan had more calls with Trump than almost any other foreign leader. Turkey’s foreign ministry has also slandered and threatened US President-Elect Joe Biden over the last six months. Now, Turkey knows its friends are in Russia and it will work with Moscow to sort out the conflict in the Caucasus.  
IN STEPANAKERT, locals showed images of widespread damage from shelling. People are begging the international community and the US to do something and they claim that ethnic-cleansing of Armenians could take place. Churches have already been shelled and many have fled. Azerbaijan responds that Armenia has also used rockets to strike cities such as Ganja, wounding and killing civilians. Like most wars, there is no purity here.

Pro-Turkey and pro-Azerbaijan social media are celebrating, telling Armenians to “leave immediately.” Azerbaijan Telegram accounts reportedly celebrated “chasing the dogs” out of the city and locals have reported rockets falling on the city and heavy shelling. Azerbaijan social media accounts claim the town of Shusha (Shushi) was already “liberated” on Sunday.

For those in Baku, the images of Armenians fleeing conjure up images from the 1990s of Azeris fleeing fighting in the same area. The argument is that after decades, this has come full circle.

The reality is a bit different because this area was once diverse, whereas today it appears that only one group or the other can control it and live there, much like the ethnic cleansing wars of the Balkans in the 1990s. Life is already shattered in Nagorno-Karabakh from a month of fighting, and the international community has done nothing to stop it or to help the civilians who have fled.

Russia’s Tass media says Turkey is ready to talk about a permanent solution to the conflict. Iran supports Baku’s demands that Armenia withdraw. Turkey and Russia appear ready to partition the area and get the spoils. It’s unclear how many civilians may have fled and the number could be anywhere between 50,000-100,000.

Considering that Turkey has already ethnically cleansed Afrin in Syria, expelling 150,000 Kurds in 2018, the expulsion of all these people will not gain the kind of sympathy of the 1990’s shown to people in the Balkans. Stepanakert once had a population of 50,000, and it’s unclear how many remain.

For Azerbaijan, however, this is a major victory for which they have waited for decades, with lingering memories of their own defeat in Shusha in 1992.

Azerbaijan’s military death toll reaches 7,630

Emil Lazarian
Public Radio of Armenia
Nov 8 2020

Azerbaijan has suffered 7,630 losses in manpower since the start of the hostilities on September 27, the Armenian Unified Infocenter informs.

According to the latest update, 264 Azerbaijani drones have been shot down; 16 helicopters and 25 planes have been destroyed.


A total of 784 units of armored vehicles and 6 TOS systems have also been struck by the Artsakh forces.

The Armenian Unified Infocenter provides updates on the Azerbaijani losses on daily basis.




Azerbaijani forces retreating in Martuni direction – War Gonzo

Maghakian Mike
Public Radio of Armenia

Nov 8 2020

Azerbaijani Armed Forces are retreating in the Martuni direction, War Gonzo informs.

Sources of the War Gonzo project on the southeastern front also report that the Artsakh Defense Army managed to shoot down An Azerbaijani aircraft near Martuni.

https://en.armradio.am/2020/11/08/azerbaijani-forces-retreating-in-martuni-direction-war-gonzo/


Putin, Macron discuss the issue of involvement of extremists in NK conflict zone

Hagop Kamalian

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 18:31, 7 November, 2020

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS.  At the initiative of the French side, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a telephone conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron, during which the situation over Nagorno Karabakh was discussed inter alia, ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the Kremlin.

‘’During the discussion of the situation over Nagorno Karabakh serious concern was expressed over the ongoing large-scale clashes in the conflict zone, as well as the more active involvement of extremists from Syria and Libya in the clashes.

Vladimir Putin presented to Emmanuel Macron the measures taken by Russia for immediate cessation of fire and resumption of negotiations aimed at a political and diplomatic solution.

The sides reaffirmed readiness to continue coordinated mediation efforts between Russia and France, including in the sidelines of the OSCE Minsk Group’’, reads the statement.

In addition, referring to the recent terror acts in France, the sides emphasized the determination to fight against terrorism.