Yes, We Were Expecting War, but the Day Was Unclear: Araik Harutyunyan

We only needed to follow the statements of the leaders of Azerbaijan and Turkey in recent months, and it was already clear that yes, we were expecting war. This was stated today, September 27, by the President of Artsakh, Araik Harutyunyan, during a meeting with reporters.

“Of course, the day was not clear, but the Defense Army was mainly ready for war by 7 AM, and it started around 7,” he said, adding that for months the Azerbaijani side had been conducting reconnaissance flights with F-16s, which is clear evidence that representatives of the Turkish armed forces are involved in the war on Azerbaijan's side.

In response to a question regarding predictions about how long the war might last, Araik Harutyunyan stated, “We must be prepared for all scenarios—short-term, medium-term, and long-term wars. It is evident that the war is large-scale and Azerbaijan has used its entire armed forces and military equipment.”

Regarding the reaction of international organizations, particularly the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, the President of Artsakh commented, “Of course, I cannot consider the international community's reaction sufficient, as not only is there clear evidence of the use of Turkish weapons, military forces, and equipment against Artsakh, but Turkey is also openly providing support to Azerbaijan. I cannot consider this sufficient, as this has long been beyond the scope of the Artsakh-Azerbaijan conflict.”