“At this time, we have 49 (soldiers) dead (…) and unfortunately this is not the final number,” Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said early today in Parliament in Yerevan.
The Azerbaijan announced today that it has met all of its goals in border with Armenia in the most violent clashes since the war between the two countries in 2020, an escalation that caused 49 deaths in the ranks of the Armenian army.
In the afternoon “the situation remained extremely tense”, according to the Armenian Ministry of Defense, despite the ceasefire announced by Moscow with effect from 09:00 Greek time, which has not yet been confirmed, neither by Baku nor by Yerevan.
“The provocations committed by the Armenian forces on the border of the two countries have been repelled, all objectives have been met”Azeri President Ilham Aliyev’s office said in a statement that did not say whether the fighting was continuing.
“Despite a significant reduction in the intensity of the bombing, the enemy continues to push forward”the Armenian Defense Ministry said in a statement a little earlier.
This escalation of violence comes as Moscow, which deployed a peacekeeping force after the 2020 war, is preoccupied with the difficulties it faces in its military offensive in Ukraine.
“At this time, we have 49 (soldiers) dead (…) and unfortunately this is not the final number” said Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at the Parliament in Yerevan early today.
Armenia and Azerbaijan, two rival ex-Soviet republics of the Caucasus, have fought two wars over the past three decades over control of the Nagorno-Karabakh region, with the latest breaking out in 2020.
The new clashes, which broke out during the night, show how explosive the situation remains.
Armenia and Azerbaijan blame each other for starting hostilities.
Yerevan accused Azeri troops of trying to “push” into Armenian territory using “artillery, mortars, drones and heavy weapons”.
Azerbaijan, which admitted it had suffered “losses” without citing numbers, accuses Armenia of hitting its positions with mortars.
Pashinyan called on the international community to react in talks he had with various foreign leaders including Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron.
The European Union has called for an end to hostilities and announced that European Council President Charles Michel, who is leading a mediation between Yerevan and Baku, will hold talks with the two sides.
According to the Kremlin, Putin is “personally involved” and is making “every possible effort to help reduce tensions.”
For his part, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said he was concerned that Russia would try to “stir the chukka” in the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
“Whether Russia will somehow try to stir things up, to divert attention from Ukraine, is something that has always worried us.”Blinken told reporters at an event in Indiana, adding that Russia could also use its influence in the region to help “calm the waters.”
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