Military operation of Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh. Main

Vedomosti provides a chronology of the conflict during September 19.

Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry in 11:30 Moscow time On September 19, he announced the bombing of cars of the state highway agency and internal troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Azerbaijan in the Khojavend region in Karabakh. Two civilians and four military personnel were killed. Shortly before this, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense reported that “formations of the Armenian armed forces on the territory of Azerbaijan, where the Russian peacekeeping contingent is temporarily stationed,” fired mortars and small arms at the positions of the Azerbaijani army in the Aghdam direction.

Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan at 13:22 Moscow time announced that it had begun “anti-terrorism measures of a local nature” with the use of “high-precision weapons” on the front line and in the depths” of the territory controlled by the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR). Baku cited car bombings as the reason for the outbreak of hostilities, and the reason was the alleged strengthening of Armenian formations in the region with armored vehicles and personnel, and the repeated mining of territories already controlled by Azerbaijan.

Baku assured that it was only striking military targets and that Russian peacekeepers had been informed about the start of the operation. They added that Azerbaijan sees a solution to the situation in the complete withdrawal of Armenian forces and the disbandment of the “illegal” civilian structures of the NKR.

IN 13:26 Moscow time The Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense announced the opening of humanitarian corridors for the civilian population of the unrecognized NKR, including along the Lachin road in the direction of Armenia. The Azerbaijani military assured in its statement that in the area of ​​operation “the protection and security of administrative, social, educational, medical, religious and other facilities will be organized.” Eyewitnesses of the events living in the NKR told Vedomosti that they actually had no opportunity to leave the danger zone at the moment; they also reported constant explosions and air raid alerts.

The Ministry of Defense of the unrecognized NKR stated in 13:38 Moscow timethat the Azerbaijani Armed Forces are firing along the entire line of contact with 13:00 Moscow timewhen “they violated the ceasefire along the entire length of the contact line, launching rocket and artillery strikes.”

IN 13:45 Moscow time The Armenian Ministry of Defense stated that Baku continues to spread “a false statement according to which there are units of the RA Armed Forces, military equipment and personnel in Nagorno-Karabakh.” “The Republic of Armenia does not have an army in Nagorno-Karabakh,” the department said in a statement.

IN 14:01 Moscow time The defense ministers of Azerbaijan and Turkey, Zakir Hasanov and Yashar Güler, contacted by telephone. At 14:14 Moscow time, a telephone conversation took place between the chiefs of the general staffs of Azerbaijan and Turkey, Kerim Valiyev and Metin Gyurak. The Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan reported this in its Telegram.

Russian Foreign Ministry in 14:10 Moscow time stated that Moscow is “deeply concerned” about the situation in Karabakh and “strongly calls” on the conflicting parties to “stop the bloodshed, immediately stop military operations and return to the path of a political and diplomatic settlement.” The department added that Russian peacekeepers will continue to carry out their tasks in Karabakh. Their command is “in constant contact” with representatives of the unrecognized NKR and Azerbaijan.

IN 14:30 Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that the information that Baku warned Russian peacekeepers “in advance” about today’s “anti-terrorist operation” in Nagorno-Karabakh “does not correspond to reality.” “The information was communicated to the Russian contingent a few minutes before the start of hostilities,” she wrote on Telegram.

IN 15:09 Moscow time The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, said on the social network X that “terrifying news is coming from the former Nagorno-Karabakh region today.” “Azerbaijan’s military actions must cease immediately to allow sincere dialogue between Baku and the Karabakh Armenians,” Michel wrote.

IN 15:25 Moscow time The head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, said that “the European Union condemns the military escalation along the contact line and in other points of Karabakh.” “We call for an immediate cessation of hostilities and call on Azerbaijan to cease its current hostilities,” Borrell said in a statement. Later, the EU Special Representative for the crisis in the South Caucasus, Toivo Klaar, also called for an immediate ceasefire.

IN 15:42 Moscow time The Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense announced the destruction of a P-18 radar station in the Khojavend direction, “belonging to the formations of the Armenian armed forces on the territory of Azerbaijan, where the Russian peacekeeping contingent is temporarily stationed.” Prior to this, the Azerbaijani military published several more drone videos of unspecified targets hit, identified as Armenian military installations and positions.

IN 15:43 Moscow time In a video message published on Facebook (owned by Meta, a banned and recognized extremist organization in Russia), Pashinyan stated that “Armenia is not participating in hostilities, Armenia does not have an army in Nagorno-Karabakh.” “We will not take any rash action at this time. [Но] Azerbaijan launched a ground operation to ethnically cleanse the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia did not give anyone a mandate to carry out ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh,” he said. Pashinyan clarified that he expects Russian peacekeepers to take action to stabilize the situation in Karabakh.

IN 15:55 Moscow time The Armenian Foreign Ministry in its Telegram announced that Azerbaijan had launched “another large-scale aggression against the people of Nagorno-Karabakh in order to complete its policy of ethnic cleansing,” and accused Stepanakert and other populated areas of shelling civilian targets. “We appeal to international partners, members of the UN Security Council, as well as the Russian peacekeeping contingent stationed in Nagorno-Karabakh in accordance with the Tripartite Declaration of November 9, 2020, to take concrete and unambiguous steps to stop Azerbaijan’s aggression,” the statement said Armenian department.

IN 16:00 Moscow time The French Foreign Ministry demanded an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Near 16:00 Moscow time A representative of the army of the unrecognized NKR said that the intensity of Azerbaijani shelling had decreased. Around this time, the NKR unified information center reported that Karabakh was proposing to “immediately cease fire and sit down at the negotiating table in order to resolve the current situation.”

TO 16:30 Moscow time The number of civilians injured as a result of shelling of the NKR by Azerbaijan has reached 23 people, said the Ombudsman of the unrecognized republic, Gegham Stepanyan. At the same time, the Prosecutor General’s Office of Azerbaijan announced the first death on the Azerbaijani side – a resident of the city of Shusha (taken under control of Baku in 2020).

IN 16:35 Moscow time, press secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the Kremlin is “really concerned about the sharp escalation of tensions and the outbreak of hostilities” and sees the main task in “ensuring the safety of the civilian population of Karabakh, we are, of course, talking about the Armenian population, to prevent human victims.” “Our military, first of all, and also through other channels, we are in contact with both the Armenian side and the Azerbaijani side. First of all, our military is now working to return the settlement process to the political and diplomatic channel,” Peskov said, emphasizing that “hard work” is now underway.

He also stated that the Kremlin calls on everyone to follow the provisions of the tripartite agreements of November 2020, “naturally, taking into account new realities – meaning the fact that the Armenian side recognized the territory of Azerbaijan as of 1991.”

“First of all, now contacts are carried out through our military, through other departments. Communication at a higher level is also consistent. As final agreements are reached, we will inform you promptly. Including possible contacts at the highest level [президентов России, Армении и Азербайджана]”, Peskov said.

As of 16:40 Moscow time A rally was held in Yerevan near the Armenian government building. Those gathered demand that the authorities intervene in the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and recognize the independence of the NKR.

IN 17:00 Moscow time Pashinyan discussed the situation in Karabakh with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a telephone conversation.

IN 17:05 Moscow time Pashinyan telephoned French President Emmanuel Macron, who confirmed Paris’s intention to convene a meeting of the UN Security Council.

IN 17:30 Moscow time The administration of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev announced its readiness to meet with representatives of the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh if ​​they fulfill a number of conditions. In particular, Baku agrees to stop “anti-terrorist measures” if “illegal armed groups,” which means the army and police of the unrecognized NKR, surrender their weapons.

IN 18:30 Moscow time The European Parliament called on the EU Council to consider imposing sanctions against the Azerbaijani authorities for military actions in Karabakh. Around the same time, German Foreign Minister Annalena Bärbock, following France, called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.

IN 18:40 Moscow time The press service of the Ministry of Health of the unrecognized NKR reported that by the evening of September 19, five residents were killed and 80 were injured on the territory of the republic as a result of Azerbaijani shelling.

IN 19:25 Moscow time Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and Turkey Jeyun Bayramov and Hakan Fidan held talks on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

Near 19:40 Moscow time Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, speaking at the UN General Assembly in New York, said that Ankara supports Azerbaijan’s “operation” in Nagorno-Karabakh.

TO 21.30 Moscow time Russian peacekeepers evacuated more than 1,800 civilians from Nagorno-Karabakh during the day

According to the Commissioner for Human Rights in the unrecognized republic Gegham Stepanyan, as of 22:30 (21:30 Moscow time) 27 residents of the NKR became victims of shelling from Azerbaijan. Also in the afternoon and evening of September 19, rallies were held in Yerevan near the Russian Embassy and the Armenian government building. The protesters accused Moscow and Prime Minister Pashinyan of “betraying” Karabakh and called for intervention in the situation. The demonstrations were accompanied by clashes with the police.

Near 21:40 Moscow time Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said that countries in the region can help resolve the contradictions. Iran, for its part, is ready to hold a meeting in the “3+3” format (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, Russia and Turkey) in connection with the situation with Nagorno-Karabakh. Moreover, if earlier Tehran called the start of full-scale hostilities in the region a “red line,” now it has declared that it recognizes Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan, but the problem of its status must be resolved “through dialogue.”