News, reports, media on combat in Karabakh. October 21, 2020

During the traditional evening briefing, Artsrun Hovhannisyan said that battles were fought in all directions of the front during the day.

According to him, in the northern direction (towards the cities of Kelbajar-Mardakert), the Azerbaijani Armed Forces made several attempts to attack, but were thrown back.

In the central direction of the forward, several sabotage groups tried to penetrate deep into the Armenian positions, but they failed, thanks to the retaliatory actions of the Defense Army.

“Battles continued in the south as well. Actions began to unfold further south, closer to the Araks River. Armenian forces stopped all attempts of the enemy to move forward. “

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on his Twitter announced the capture of 22 settlements in three regions under the control of the Azerbaijani army.

Aliyev’s tweets indicate the following settlements:

Zangilan region: the village of Minjivan, the villages of Hurama, Khumarly, Saryl, Babaili, Uchunju Agaly, Khajalli, Gyrakh Myushlan, Udgun, Turabad, Icheri Myushlan, Melikli, Jahangirbeyli, Baharly;

Fizuli region: the villages of Gejagozlu, Ashagy Seyidakhmedli, Zargyar;

Jabrayil region: villages of Belend, Papy, Tulus, Hajili, Tinli.

Turabad, İçəri Müşlan, Məlikli, Cahangirbəyli, Baharlı kəndlərini işğaldan azad etmişdir. Eşq olsun Azərbaycan Ordusuna! Qarabağ Azərbaycandır!

— İlham Əliyev (@azpresident) October 21, 2020

Cəbrayıl rayonunun Bələnd, Papı, Tulus, Hacılı, Tinli kəndlərini işğaldan azad etmişdir. Eşq olsun Azərbaycan Ordusuna! Qarabağ Azərbaycandır!

— İlham Əliyev (@azpresident) October 21, 2020

“Pashinyan’s stating that there is no diplomatic solution to the conflict once again demonstrates that Yerevan is not interested in resolving the conflict through negotiations,” said Assistant to the President of the AR Hikmet Hajiyev.

“Against the background of Azerbaijan’s constructive position on the settlement of the conflict, the international community, and in particular the OSCE MG co-chairs, must draw conclusions from this statement of the Armenian leadership,” he added.

Nikol Pashinyan spoke live on his Facebook page and urged everyone and everyone to ‘stand up for the Motherland’ – first of all, with arms in hand, as well as help the army with their knowledge and skills:

“We must realize that the Karabakh issue, at least at this stage, has no diplomatic solution.”

He explained that the Armenian authorities have repeatedly declared their readiness to resolve the issue on the basis of mutual compromises. But the tenets of the resolution of the conflict for Armenian side are unacceptable to Azerbaijan:

“What we agree or will agree to, taking into account negotiations and other factors, Azerbaijan does not agree to. Consequently, there remains only a military solution to the issue, after which it will be possible to proceed to diplomatic negotiations.”

The prime minister’s speech took place after meetings and consultations with the former presidents of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as the leaders of large parties, from which it follows that this is a common approach of all political forces in Armenia and Karabakh.

The ban will be in effect from December 31, 2020 and will remain in effect for six months. The Armenian government adopted this resolution on October 21. The essence of the decision is to stop financial injections into the Turkish state treasury from Armenian sources.

“Restricting the import of Turkish goods, first of all, pursues the goal of security, given the repeatedly confirmed facts that Turkey openly supports military and terrorist actions against Nagorno-Karabakh,” the office of Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigоryan said in a statement.

According to the Ministry of Economy, goods worth $268.1 million were imported into Turkey to Armenia in 2019.

The Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement following the talks between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan.

“In light of the recent telephone contacts of Russian President Vladimir with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, on October 20 and 21, separate meetings of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and Foreign Minister were held in Moscow Armenia by Zohrab Mnatsakanyan.

During the talks, urgent issues related to the implementation of the previously reached agreements on a ceasefire in the zone of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the creation of conditions for its sustainable settlement were discussed,” the message says.

Democratic Congresswoman from California Grace Napolitano has presented the bill in the US House of Representatives. She posted the document she submitted on Twitter.

The path forward is one of liberty, which is why I am today calling for official U.S. recognition of the Republic of Artsakh’s independence. pic.twitter.com/Kk4J31XVz5

— Rep.Grace Napolitano (@gracenapolitano) October 20, 2020

“The way forward is the way to freedom, so I call for official recognition of the independence of Artsakh by the United States,” the caption reads.

Grace Napolitano writes that Nagorno-Karabakh was part of Armenia for thousands of years, and now “is an independent Republic, founded on a solid legal basis”:

“But most importantly today, when Azerbaijan and Turkey, their allies from ISIS drop bombs and beat the rockets on the civilian population of Artsakh is that freedom is a matter of respect not only in relation to history or the rule of law. Freedom is the only answer left for the survival of Artsakh. There is no turning back. Artsakh should not return to Azerbaijan.”

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov has left for a working visit to Moscow for meetings with the Russian side.

The Prosecutor General’s Office of Azerbaijan has updated the data on the number of victims and wounded among the civilian population.

“As a result of shelling by the Armenian armed forces, 63 civilians have been killed and another 292 people were injured,” the ministry said in a statement.

At night, gunfire and artillery battles continued on some sectors of the front.

In the morning, local battles began in the north and south.

“At dawn, once again violating the agreement on a humanitarian ceasefire, Azerbaijan began shelling the civilian infrastructure of the city of Martakert and surrounding villages,” the statement of the Karabakh military department says.

“Starting in the morning, the Armenian armed forces have been shelling the city of Terter and the territory of the region from artillery installations,” the press service of the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said in an urgent message.

During his working visit, President Armen Sargsyan will meet with NATO Secretary General, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, as well as the President of the Council of Europe.

“The President of Armenia intends to discuss with the leaders of European structures issues related to the military aggression unleashed by Azerbaijan against the Republic of Artsakh and the open participation of Turkey in it, as well as the facts of shelling by the Azerbaijani side of the border settlements of the Republic of Armenia,” the presidential press service reported.

The Armenian Foreign Minister is in Moscow on a short-term working visit. Other details of Zohrab Mnatsakanyan’s visit have not yet been reported.

“During the day on October 20 and on the night of October 21, hostilities continued with varying intensity in the Agderin, Fizuli-Jabrayil and Gubadli directions of the front. The enemy fired at the defensive positions of the Azerbaijani army from small arms, mortars and artillery, ”the press service of the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said.

25th day since the beginning of the fighting in Karabakh.

• The Armenian Defense Ministry reported intense fighting in the south near the border with Iran, in the area of ​​the Khudaferin reservoir.

• According to the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan, there were battles in the Agdere-Agdam, Fizuli-Hadrut-Jebrail and Gubadly-Zangelan areas of the front, the Terter and Aghdam regions of Azerbaijan were fired upon.

• The Azerbaijani army took control of 24 more villages and the city of Zangelan in the Karabakh conflict zone, President Ilham Aliyev said.

• Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan on his Facebook page said that during the war, the Karabakh defense army shot down about a dozen Turkish Bayraktar drones and called on other countries to follow Canada’s example and suspend further supplies of parts to Turkey for its production.

• Azerbaijan has provided new data on civilian casualties: 61 people died, 291 were injured.

• The Prime Minister of Armenia held a series of meetings with the former presidents of Nagorno-Karabakh, Arkady Ghukasyan and Bako Sahakyan, and with representatives of parties that are not represented in parliament and which are tough opposition to the authorities. They discussed “further actions in connection with the Azerbaijani-Turkish aggression.”

• “The Armenian people have no right to retreat, in this war the question of the existence of the state is being decided. The settlement is unacceptable without recognition of the independence of Artsakh,” said Ishkhan Saghatelyan, a representative of the Dashnaktsutyun party after the meeting.

• The Russian Orthodox Church of Azerbaijan protested against the “atrocities of the armed forces of Armenia” called them “terrorist acts” and called on the world community to “punish those responsible.”

• Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia Shavarsh Kocharian stated in parliament: “Everything is decided on the battlefield. It is extremely painful to see the reaction of the world community, the UN. […] Armenia is in a state of war, in which Turkey is also involved, which means the threat of a new genocide ”.

• The Ombudsman of Armenia launched an investigation into the use of prohibited types of weapons by Azerbaijan, in particular, cluster bombs. Another topic of the investigation is the propaganda of ethnic cleansing in the Azerbaijani society and the encouragement of terrorist methods of struggle against the population of Armenia and Karabakh.

• The Presidents of Russia and France discussed by phone the situation in the Karabakh conflict zone and the need for new negotiations. Other details of the conversation are unknown.

• News, reports, photos / videos on military operations in Karabakh for October 17-20, 2020