Defense Ministry Issues Statement

The Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan has released a statement accusing the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia of shelling the combat positions of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan from May 24 to 26. It is evident that this statement is yet another pathetic attempt to cover up the provocations carried out against the sovereign territories of the Republic of Armenia in recent days and the facts surrounding the killing of contract serviceman, Junior Sergeant Gevorg Khurshudyan, on May 25.

Moreover, it is noteworthy that according to the statement, the Armenian side has been shelling Azerbaijani positions for three consecutive days; however, the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan has only decided to speak on this matter today. The statement also mentioned that the Azerbaijani positions were shelled in Artsakh, in the direction of Shusha.

The command of the Russian military contingent carrying out a peacekeeping mission in the Republic of Artsakh has informed the Ministry of Defense of Armenia that there have been no shots fired in that direction as well. The Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia declares that its armed forces did not fire any shots towards the Republic of Azerbaijan during the specified days.

The Armenian defense agency once again emphasizes that any encroachments by Azerbaijan on the sovereign territories of the Republic of Armenia are absolutely intolerable and demands the immediate withdrawal from the territory of Armenia; otherwise, it reserves the right to resolve the issue by any means, including the use of force.