Fighting is continuing for the 32nd day over Nagorno-Karabakh, despite a third ceasefire being agreed.

[The news as it happened: 27 September, 28 September, 29 September, 30 September, 1 October, 2 October, 3 October, 4 October, 5 October, 6 October, 7 October, 8 October, 9 October, 10 October, 11 October, 12 October, 13 October, 14 October, 15 October, 16 October, 17 October, 18 October, 19 October, 20 October, 21 October, 22 October, 23 October, 24 October, 25 October, 26 October, October 27]

Read our latest stories: 

• Opinion | ‘We did not speak, we only whispered’
• Evidence mounts of war crimes in Nagorno-Karabakh
• Aliyev and Pashinyan mark ‘red lines’ in interviews with RIA Novosti
• Azerbaijani peace activists called for questioning
• Opinion | On the importance of losing
• Opinion | How I learned not to hate
• Opinion | We are a generation of war
• Opinion | To stand for peace, in spite of everything
• Analysis | A dangerous turn in a 30-year conflict
• Under fire in Stepanakert

 For ease of reading, we choose not to use qualifiers such as ‘de facto’, ‘unrecognised’, or ‘partially recognised’ when discussing institutions or political positions within Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh, and South Ossetia. This does not imply a position on their status.

Aliyev ready for negotiations in Moscow ‘without any conditions’

In an interview with Interfax Azerbaijan, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stated that if invited to Moscow to hold talks with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan he would be willing to go ‘without any preconditions’. However, he added that he has ‘great doubts that the current Armenian government is capable of constructive work on the settlement’.

Aliyev also stated that ‘it is necessary to think about some new mechanisms of regional cooperation between the countries of the region in order to practically reach a political settlement’ he added that he finds it ‘acceptable’ if the negotiations are in a ‘2+2’ format that features Azerbaijan, Armenia, Russia, and Turkey. 

Nikol Pashinyan condemns attack on hospital as part of ‘genocidal policy’

On Twitter, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has condemned the strike on the Republican Hospital in Stepanakert (Khankandi), as well as the shelling in both Stepanakert and Shusha (Shushi), as part of a ‘genocidal policy’ against Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh. 

Aliyev thanks Erdoğan for ‘unwavering support’ during Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

The Press Office of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has published a letter from the Azerbaijani President addressed to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan congratulating him on the occasion of Turkey’s Republic Day (29 October). 

In the letter, Aliyev thanks the Turkish President for his ‘firm and unequivocal position on the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict’ as well as his ‘unwavering support for (Azerbaijan’s) cause’.

He concludes the letter praising ‘the unshakable Azerbaijani-Turkish unity and brotherhood’  and the relationship between the two countries which he states ‘will continue to develop and strengthen in line with the slogan “One Nation, Two States”’.

Aliyev announces new villages taken by Azerbaijani military 

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has announced that the Azerbaijani army has taken control of several villages in the Zangilan (Kovsakan), Fuzuli (Varanda), Jabrayil (Jrakan) and Gubadli (Kashunik) districts. 

Azerbaijan: Death toll from Barda strike climbs to 21

The General Prosecutor’s Office of Azerbaijan has announced that the death toll of the strike on Barda has risen to 21, with over 70 injured.   

Azerbaijan: Death toll from Barda strike climbs to 19

The General Prosecutor’s Office of Azerbaijan has announced that the death toll of the strike on Barda has risen to 19. 

Armenian Ministry of Defence spokesperson Shushan Stepanyan has denied that Armenian forces fired on Barda with Smerch missiles, stating that such a claim ‘is groundless and false’.

Armenia: Shelling of Stepanakert continues, maternity hospital hit

The Armenian Unified Infocenter reports that Azerbaijan has hit Stepanakert with Smerch rockets and airstrikes. A maternity hospital has reportedly been hit. There is no information yet about deaths or injuries among the civilian population.

Azerbaijan: 14 civilians killed in Barda, over 40 injured

The General Prosecutor’s Office of Azerbaijan reports that 14 civilians have been killed and over 40 injured in the shelling of Barda by Armenian forces. 

ICRC warns of winter’s impact on civilians

In a tweet, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warned of the dangers of winter for civilians in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. 

 ‘Winter approaches as the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict intensifies. With temperatures dropping, thousands of people face freezing weather sheltering in unheated basements’, the tweet reads. 

Azerbaijan: Barda and Tartar shelled

Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Defence reports that Armenian forces have shelled the city of Tartar with Smerch rockets. Local media have also reported about the city of Barda being shelled.

The Armenian Ministry of Defence has denied carrying out a strike on Barda.

 

One civilian reported killed and two wounded in Shusha rocket attack

The State Service for Emergency Situations of Nagorno-Karabakh reports that Shusha (Shushi) has been hit with Smerch rockets. One civilian is reported killed and two wounded. 

Azerbaijan’s Defence Ministry has denied the strike, stating that they do not fire upon civilian targets and that they are observing the ceasefire. 

Stepanakert has also reportedly been fired upon. 

Reporters Without Borders condemns attacks on journalists

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemned a missile attack on a Euronews film crew, in which the crew ‘nearly got killed’ near the village of Talish in Nagorno-Karabakh. 

A crew from @Euronews filming near Talish in Nagorno #Karabakh nearly got killed. An anti-tank missile flew over the jeep in which the journalist and the cameraman were escorted. @RSF_inter urges #Armenia to investigate on this shot towards #Azerbaijan. pic.twitter.com/XWQb41SIhg

— RSF in English (@RSF_en) October 27, 2020

They also condemned online attacks on Liseron Boudoul, a staff journalist of French television channel TF1 ‘from members of the Armenian community in France’ after her report about Nagorno-Karabakh aired on 22 October. Boudoul also received hate messages on Facebook and Twitter, as well as ‘pressure’ via WhatsApp messages.  

‘We firmly condemn the harassment to which Liseron Boudoul and TF1 have been subjected’, said Pavol Szalai, the head of RSF’s European Union and Balkans desk. ‘It is unacceptable for a journalist and a media outlet to be hounded in this way for covering a conflict, on the grounds that they placed themselves on a certain side of the front line’.

Erdoğan and Putin discuss Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh by phone ‘at the initiative of the Turkish side’.  

‘The Russian side expressed deep concern over the ongoing hostilities, as well as the increasingly large-scale involvement of terrorists from the Middle East in the clashes.’ Vladimir Putin also reportedly informed Erdoğan about his communication with the Armenian and Azerbaijani leadership and the steps being taken to secure a ceasefire and de-escalate the conflict, the Kremlin official website reports. 

Erdoğan and Putin agreed to ‘coordinate’ in the spheres of defence and foreign policy as well as between the two countries’ intelligence agencies.

Azerbaijan and Armenia report shelling on the state border overnight

Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Defence has stated that Armenian forces fired at ‘human settlements and positions’ located at Armenian-Azerbaijan border several times in the night and morning. They reported that the Tovuz, Gadabay, Dashkasan, and Gubadli districts were shelled from the territory of the Republic of Armenia.

According to their report, Aghjabedi was also fired upon in the morning hours. 

The Nagorno-Karabakh Ministry of Defence reported that the Azerbaijani forces fired upon ‘Martuni and upper subregion of Askeran’, adding that battles are currently continuing in different parts of the frontline.