Tensions in Artsakh, while Armenian Authorities Remain Silent: 'Zhoghovurd'

'Zhoghovurd' daily reports that starting from August 3 at 09:00, Azerbaijani units have grossly violated the ceasefire regime, targeting the Artsakh Defense Army's positions and one of the permanent deployment sites. This assault involved various caliber firearms, as well as the use of mortars, grenade launchers, and strike drones, resulting in the fatal injuries of contract servicemen Gurgen Gabrielyan and Arthur Khachatrayan. Additionally, 14 other servicemen sustained injuries of varying degrees. These figures are the official numbers from yesterday evening and may rise or change.

So, what are the Armenian authorities doing in this situation? Firstly, it’s worth mentioning that following the heightened tensions in recent days, the President of the Republic of Artsakh, Araik Harutyunyan, announced a partial mobilization, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Artsakh issued a statement appealing to the international community. Meanwhile, the Armenian National Assembly is on recess, as is Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Throughout yesterday, our attempts to clarify whether there would be an official statement or if Pashinyan would return from vacation proved fruitless; we did not encounter an official communication.

The only official interaction was the Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs meeting with the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Andrzej Kasprzyk, but the discussion was general and not focused on the ongoing situation. It seems that Armenia has washed its hands of Artsakh, and what was announced on July 29 by the Head of the Armenian Security Council, Armen Grigoryan, is being executed. He stated, 'We must actively discuss the option of separating the Nagorno-Karabakh issue from Armenia-Azerbaijan relations.'

It appears that the authorities are seemingly getting their way. Team Pashinyan seems to have forgotten Armenia's primary obligation, which is to be the guarantor of Artsakh's security.

For more details, see today's issue of the newspaper.