Clashes Between Russian and Azerbaijani Forces Occur in Syunik: What Started the Incident

According to the "Zhoghovurd" daily, on August 7, Armenian Defense Minister Arshak Karapetyan was boasting, stating, "If they attempt to infiltrate our territory, I have ordered to destroy them; I command all of you to use all means necessary." Just 20 days after these remarks, the Azerbaijani side closed two important roads in Syunik starting yesterday, one of which is an interstate road connecting Armenia and Iran.

While the men from the ruling party are attempting to flex their muscles in parliament and Nikol Pashinyan continues to blame his predecessors and others for all issues, the enemy is becoming more established in Armenia and is trying to implement the Zangezur Corridor project.

So, what triggered this incident? Azerbaijani soldiers have reportedly closed two sections of this road, allegedly in response to the stabbing of their soldiers, which the Armenian Ministry of Defense denies. Interestingly, there are conflicting reports regarding this incident.

In a conversation with "Zhoghovurd," Russian analyst Modest Kolerov stated that there is information suggesting an incident involving both Russian and Azerbaijani military personnel. However, there is still no official information regarding any incident involving either party or Armenians. Nevertheless, the Russian analyst noted that while the internal situation in Armenia remains unstable, Azerbaijan continues to carry out its plans.

"This situation could persist for years. Even if negotiations involving Russia were to commence tomorrow, reaching a conclusion could take years. Throughout those years, Azerbaijan will continue to attack as long as Armenia does not secure its borders. If it did, there would be no Azerbaijani troops there," he remarked.

Speaking about the risk to the Armenian-Iranian border, Kolerov acknowledged that the latter had welcomed the restoration of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity, highlighting that relying on Iran in this context is not advisable, while simultaneously reiterating that Russia is ready to initiate trilateral negotiations and is currently engaged in such efforts.

All we can do is acknowledge that our homeland is shrinking day by day.