Azerbaijani forces on Saturday breached the line of contact and advanced into Artsakh’s territory.
The Azerbaijani troop have breached the demarcations outlined by the November 9, 2020 agreement in the Shushi-Lisagor section and secured “some positional advance,” the Artsakh Information Center reported.
Russia accused Azerbaijani troops of violating the 2020 agreement, with its defense ministry saying that the Azerbaijanis have occupied a hill near the Lachin Corridor, which has been under a blockade since December 12,
The Russian Defense Ministry said the Azerbaijani action violated a key term of the November 9, 2020 agreement.
“The command of the Russian peacekeepers is taking measures aimed to prevent the escalation of the crisis situation and mutual provocations by the warring parties,” the ministry said in a statement.
“Azerbaijan’s false claim on the alleged use of the Stepanakert-Ghaybalishen-Lisagor mountain road for arms shipments is simply a pretext for their own renewed aggressive and destructive actions,” the statement added.
“They [the Azerbaijanis] ambushed and killed three on-duty police officers and injured another on March 5 under this same pretext. The government of Artsakh has numerously said that in conditions of the ongoing blockade since December 12, the given mountain road is used for civilian, urgent connection between Stepanakert and four communities in Shushi region, which is carried out with [high-clearance] large vehicles, given the highly complex and hazardous terrain,” explained the statement.
“The existence and normal functioning of the Defense Army does not pose any danger for anyone, because it is envisaged exclusively for self-defense, taking into account the real and direct dangers and threats against the physical existence and safety of the people of Artsakh,” the statement added.
