Azerbaijan expresses outrage after Russia says it violated ceasefire

Over the weekend, Azerbaijani forces crossed a ceasefire line in Nagorno-Karabakh, sparking skirmishes with Armenian forces.

An Azeri soldier is seen at fighting positions near divided Taghavard village in Nagorno-Karabakh region
(photo credit: REUTERS)

Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry expressed outrage on Saturday after Russia’s Defense Ministry reported that Azerbaijani armed forces had violated the ceasefire that ended the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war by crossing the line of contact.

On Thursday, Azerbaijani forces crossed the line of contact near the village of Parukh in the de facto Republic of Artsakh, entering the village of Khramort. On Friday, a Azerbaijani Bayraktar TB2 drone carried out a strike against forces belonging to Artsakh.

The Republic of Artsakh is a de facto republic internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan. In 2020, the area in which the republic sits was recaptured by Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh war against Armenia.

“From March 24 to March 25, the armed forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan, violating the provisions of the tripartite statement of the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia of November 9, 2020, entered the zone of responsibility of the Russian peacekeeping contingent on the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh and set up an observation post,” read a statement by the Russian Defense Ministry.

“Four strikes were made by an unmanned aerial vehicle of the type “Bayraktar TB-2″ on the units of the armed formations of Nagorno-Karabakh in the area of the settlement of Furukh,” it added.

Source: https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-702402