Azerbaijan declares itself the winner and ends military operations in Nagorno-Karabakh

Aliyev spoke of Armenian troops stationed illegally in Karabakh that had been destroyed. “Military equipment was destroyed and rendered unusable.” Aliyev promised the Karabakh Armenians, who fear expulsion from old settlement areas, that they would soon experience a change for the better.

The Azerbaijani superiority was too great for the Armenian defenders. After the attacks began on Tuesday, they announced on Wednesday that they had agreed to a ceasefire – which amounts to a surrender. Because Baku set the condition that they lay down their weapons and give up fighting positions. The authorities of the unrecognized republic felt abandoned by the world: “In the current situation, the measures taken by the international community to end the war and resolve the situation are inadequate,” they explained.

More than 200 people killed

By then, according to Armenian reports, more than 200 people had been killed and over 400 others injured in the bombing, including civilians. Azerbaijan’s army had attacked the area around the city of Stepanakert for hours with artillery, missiles and drones in an attempt to capture it.

Video: Ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh

Nagorno-Karabakh, which has been fought over between the two ex-Soviet republics for decades, is located on Azerbaijani territory, but is inhabited by a majority of ethnic Armenians. It is estimated that around 100,000 remaining residents of the region were already in a desperate situation before the attacks because Azerbaijan blocked Armenia’s only access road, the Lachin Corridor, for months. Food, medicine and gasoline were in short supply.

Future: uncertain

Now their future is even more uncertain. Aliyev and his authoritarian leadership talk about the “reintegration” of Nagorno-Karabakh. Many Armenians fear violent revenge from the Azerbaijanis because they held out and resisted for so long. Hundreds of people gathered at the airfield in the capital Stepanakert in the hope of being flown out in helicopters.

On Tuesday, Armenian journalists on site had already published photos and videos showing that – contrary to assurances from Baku – not only military objects but also residential buildings were hit. Families waited in cellars while the bullets thundered above their heads.

“After nine months of hunger, we are now in a bomb shelter, sleeping here with children who dreamed of bread yesterday and who today dream of waking up tomorrow,” wrote reporter Siranush Sargsyan on the platform X, formerly known as Twitter. “I don’t know if we will wake up, but I hope you will remember us for facing this genocide with dignity.”

Armenians are angry with Russia

The ceasefire initiated by the Russian side came into force on Wednesday at 1 p.m. Armenian time (11 a.m. CEST) and apparently actually led to a decrease in fighting. But many Armenians are still angry at Russia, which is traditionally considered the protective power of the Christian Orthodox country, while Muslim Azerbaijan relies on Turkey.

In their eyes, the Russian soldiers stationed in the region have abandoned the militarily inferior Armenians. Even before the latest escalation broke out, observers had warned that Azerbaijan, which is well-equipped with oil and gas revenues, could take advantage of the fact that Russia is currently less present in the South Caucasus because of its own war of aggression against Ukraine.

Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan warned that the Russians must now ensure the security of the Karabakh Armenians in view of the Azerbaijani advance. According to his government, he telephoned Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday evening.

Moscow assured that its own soldiers would remain stationed in Karabakh and, among other things, continue evacuation measures. By Wednesday evening, Russian forces had brought 3,100 civilians to safety, the Defense Ministry in Moscow said. According to the military, several Russian soldiers stationed in Karabakh were killed when their car was fired upon. The incident occurred on Wednesday near the town of Janjatag. It did not say how many Russian peacekeepers were killed.

Allegations rejected

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov rejected Armenian allegations of Russian inaction. He also stated that they are currently observing “de jure actions of the Republic of Azerbaijan on its territory.” This statement is notable because after the last Karabakh war in 2020, Russia agreed to monitor the ceasefire agreed at the time in the region.

And so the protests that have flared up in Armenia’s capital Yerevan are not only directed against their own government, from which the people are demanding more support for their compatriots in Nagorno-Karabakh. The Russian embassy in Yerevan was also surrounded by angry demonstrators. In the meantime, according to Russian diplomats, normal embassy operations were no longer possible.

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