Nagorno-Karabakh was in a complete blockade without food and gas

Peacekeepers between the hammer and the anvil

Nagorno-Karabakh, in fact, found itself in a forced blockade. Azerbaijani “eco-activists” blocked the Lachin corridor connecting the republic with Armenia, and Baku stopped supplying gas to Stepanakert. Together with Karabakh, the Russian peacekeeping contingent found itself in a difficult situation.

The so-called Azerbaijani environmental activists, among whom there are supporters of the right-wing radical pan-Turkist organization Bozkurt, suddenly concerned about environmental problems, continue to blockade the Stepanakert-Goris highway linking Karabakh with Armenia. The closure of the corridor led to the blockade of the villages of Mets Shen, Khin Shen, Yeghtsaoh and Lisagor in the Shusha region, where food and essential goods are no longer supplied.

Since the highway is located in the zone of responsibility of the Russian peacekeeping contingent (RMK), our military found themselves between a rock and a hard place.

On the one hand, Azerbaijan demands from Russia to let its specialists into the territory of the Karabakh mines, where they are not allowed by the locals. On the other hand, Stepanakert addresses the command of the RMK with the words about the inadmissibility of blocking the road, which could lead to a “humanitarian catastrophe.” The problem of the transport corridor became the topic of conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on December 12.

The United States and France have already called for an end to the blockade, but their voices were not heard in Baku. What can we say then about the limited measures that the peacekeepers can take. The Azerbaijani side also regularly criticizes the Russian military for allegedly “disdainful attitude” to their appeals.

As for the gas blockade of the region, due to which educational institutions in Nagorno-Karabakh were closed for an indefinite period, Azerbaijan is far from taking such measures for the first time. For example, on the night of March 9 this year, a pipeline leading to Stepanakert from Armenia was damaged. 120,000 residents of Shushi were left without gas. The Armenian side noted that what happened was a deliberate action of the Azerbaijani military.

Alexei Zudin, Senior Lecturer at MGIMO MFA of Russia believes that the conflict in the region, which at first glance began to fade, but in fact periodically escalates, indicates that the parties are not satisfied with the results achieved during open clashes and in the settlement process.

“Prospects for the development of events largely depend on how autonomous the Azerbaijani side is in its actions. It is not entirely clear whether Azerbaijan is the real initiator of the escalation if Turkey is behind it,” the expert noted.

Zudin also told MK that if Azerbaijan acts independently, it will be easier for Russia. “In the second case, Russian efforts will face additional difficulties. Turkey’s meaningful involvement means that a settlement will require different efforts. If there is Turkey’s involvement in the aggravation, then, with a high degree of probability, we can assume that this is part of the overall game that Erdogan is constantly playing.”