News, reports, media on combat in Karabakh. October 22, 2020

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated the impossibility of a diplomatic solution to the Karabakh issue at this stage on October 21. Today he commented in an interview with Interfax,

what exactly did he mean.

Key points:

• A diplomatic solution means a compromise. But to Armenia’s statements about its readiness for a compromise, which could be acceptable for Azerbaijan, he refuses and demands more. “Diplomatic work is necessary to change this position of Azerbaijan. And I very highly appreciate the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs and, in particular, Russia. ”

• It is necessary to return to the negotiation process, and Armenia is still ready for compromise solutions.

• The issue of principle for Armenia is the status of Nagorno-Karabakh.

• It is necessary to fight the presence of terrorist groups in the zone of the Karabakh conflict,

• It is acceptable for Armenia to bring in peacekeepers, in particular, the Russian contingent,

• In case of transferring hostilities to the Armenian border, the country will turn to the military alliance, of which it is a member, to the Collective Security Treaty Organization, or directly to Russia.

• Armenia’s goal is for the international community to recognize the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh.

• Pashinyan confirmed his readiness to meet with Aliyev and try to reach a diplomatic solution to this situation. It is assumed that such a meeting will take place in Moscow.

• Armenia’s expectation from this meeting is the final solution to the Karabakh problem. This means for Armenia, according to Nikol Pashinyan, “the observance of the right to self-determination of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh.”

Earlier, Ilham Aliyev wrote on his Twitter that the Azerbaijani army took control of the village of Agbend, thereby restoring the state border of Azerbaijan with Iran.

“There is intense fighting along the entire border. Full control of Azerbaijan is out of the question. If in some places the Azerbaijani troops were able to see the Araks River, this does not mean complete control. ”

Hovhannisyan again said that the Azerbaijani Armed Forces operated in all directions of the front line during the day, however, “all attempts to attack were suppressed, in places discarded.”

The spokesman for the Ministry of Defense also commented on today’s statement by Vladimir Putin that each of the parties to the conflict has more than 2,000 dead. The Armenian Defense Ministry claims 900 dead.

“Is it not clear what the generalized number was named? The President of Russia would not be able to name a specific number – it is out of the question, ”Hovhannisyan said.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on his Twitter announced the capture of seven more villages in two regions on the front line under the control of the Azerbaijani army.

In his tweet, he named the following localities:

Fizuli region: the villages of Mollaveli, Yukhary Rafidinli, Ashagi Rafidinli;

Jabrayil region: villages of Sirik, Shikhlar, Mastalibeyli, Derzili.

Zangilan region: Agbend village, villages Kollugyshlag, Malatkeshin, Kend Zangilan, Genlik, Veligulubeyli, Garadere, Chopedere, Tatars, Tiri, Amirkhanli, Gargulu, Bartaz, Dellekli.

Ilham Aliyev noted that by taking control of the village of Agbend, the Azerbaijani army completely restored the state border of Azerbaijan with Iran.

Azerbaijan’s glorious Army has liberated Mollaveli, Yuxari Refiddinli and Ashagi Refiddinli villages of Fuzuli district and Sirik, Shikhlar, Mestelibeyli and Derzili villages of Jabrayil district. Long live Azerbaijan’s Army! Karabakh is Azerbaijan!

— Ilham Aliyev (@presidentaz) October 22, 2020

Azerbaijan’s glorious Army has liberated Kollugishlag, Malatkeshin, Kend Zengilan, Genlik, Veligulubeyli, Garadere, Chopedere, Tatar, Tiri, Emirkhanli, Gargulu, Bartaz and Dellekli villages, and Agbend settlement of Zengilan. Long live Azerbaijan’s Army! Karabakh is Azerbaijan!

— Ilham Aliyev (@presidentaz) October 22, 2020

The state border between Azerbaijan and the Islamic Republic of Iran has been completely secured through liberation of the Agbend settlement. I congratulate the peoples of Azerbaijan and Iran on this occasion. Long live Azerbaijan’s glorious Army!

— Ilham Aliyev (@presidentaz) October 22, 2020

• The foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia have met before. But the situation has changed. There is no longer the status quo and the line of contact of the armies. If the Armenian side wants a truce, it needs to abandon attempts to reoccupy the already liberated territories and take upon itself obligations to liberate other lands. All regions of Azerbaijan must be liberated. The main thing in the negotiations is now to determine when this will happen.
• All Azerbaijanis must return to their homelands.
• If there is any progress at the meeting of foreign ministers on Friday (October 23), a trilateral summit may take place in Moscow.
• We can sit down at the negotiating table after the Prime Minister of Armenia announces the withdrawal of the armed forces from the occupied territories.
• The prospects for the settlement of the conflict with this Armenian government are very illusory, since its actions and statements made the negotiations meaningless.
• Every day I announce the territories liberated from the Armenian occupation. Armenia is being defeated on the battlefield. We wanted to achieve this peacefully.
• Where will the observers be deployed? Who will give them a mandate? We are talking about the territory of Azerbaijan, so we will have the last word.
• De facto Turkey as a member of the OSCE Minsk Group [facilitator in the negotiations on the Karabakh conflict] is involved in the conflict settlement process. If we elected the co-chairs of the Minsk Group today, Azerbaijan would certainly support Turkey’s candidacy.
• Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh are citizens of Azerbaijan. Their safety will be ensured, like the safety of other citizens of the country.
• There will be no referendum in Nagorno-Karabakh. We will never agree with this. Cultural autonomy may be offered to the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Several hundred protesters demanded to recognize the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh and stop the war.

“The world does not react to our pain, referring to the fact that our country is not recognized. So let Artsakh recognize and begin to respect our rights, and most importantly, our right to life, ”said one of the protesters.

The organizers of the action met with a representative of the embassy, ​​presented their demands, including a meeting with Ambassador Lynn Tracy. They warned that if their demands were not met, they would pitch tents outside the embassy.

“We have no other home. We will live here and talk about our rights, our pain, our men who die while they are silent. Genocide is being carried out in Artsakh, our soldiers are beheaded, protocol statements are not enough. Take action! Ankara sponsors terrorism, ”said one of the protesters Liana Ayvazyan.

In the hands of women and children in front of the embassy there are posters with the inscriptions “Recognize Artsakh”, “Stop Erdogan”, “Prevent a new genocide”, “Stop terrorism”. They chant slogans and sing patriotic songs.

The Prosecutor General’s Office of Azerbaijan reports that the target of one of the missiles fired this morning by the Armenian Armed Forces was the Oguz-Gabala-Baku water pipeline.

The water pipeline supplies drinking water to the Absheron Peninsula and is of particular strategic importance.

“Air defense units of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces neutralized the missile. Its remains fell in the area of ​​the pipeline.

Another missile, according to the ministry, hit the territory of one of the villages in the region: a civilian was wounded, five houses were seriously damaged,” the ministry said.

The press secretary of the Ministry of Defense Shushan Stepanyan wrote on Facebook that the statement of the Azerbaijani side is “utter nonsense and a cynic lie.”

“On the morning of October 22, ballistic missiles from an operational-tactical missile complex were launched from the territory of Armenia through the territory of Azerbaijan.

At about 07:00 the enemy fired 3 missiles in the direction of the Siyazan region, and at 09:00 – 2 missiles in the direction of Gabala and 1 missile in the direction of the Kurdamir regions.

The target of the Armenian armed forces was the civilian population and civilian infrastructure. There are no casualties as a result of rocket fire at the enemy,” the press service of the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said.

Artillery battles were fought in some sectors of the front at night. The night passed relatively calmly in peaceful settlements.

In the morning, along with local battles along the entire front line, in the central direction, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces again attempted diversions, which were suppressed.

As for peaceful settlements, according to the State Emergency Service, the Azerbaijani side is currently firing artillery fire in the direction of Martuni and surrounding villages.

“During the day on October 21 and on the night of October 22, hostilities in the Agdera-Aghdam, Fizuli-Jebrail and Zangilan-Gubadli areas of the front continued with varying intensity. The enemy fired at the defensive positions of the Azerbaijan Army from small arms, mortars and cannons.

Currently, hostilities continue along the entire front. Our troops are in control of the operational situation,” the press service of the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said.

26th day since the beginning of the fighting in Karabakh.

• The ministry of defense of Armenia reported that battles had continued all day long on October 21, both on the northern and southern directions of the frontline (towards the cities of Kelbajar and Mardakert, and near the border with Iran, respectively). The Azerbaijani army had carried out an offensive but was driven back, the ministry said.

• The ministry of defense of Azerbaijan, too, reported continued fighting on the northern direction of the frontline, as well as rocket attacks on the Azerbaijani city of Terter.

• The Azerbaijani army has taken control of 22 more settlements in the Zangilan, Fizuli and Jabrayil regions, the president of Azerbaijan announced.

• Azerbaijan updated its data on civilian casualties: 63 people have been killed, 292 injured.

• “The Karabakh issue has no diplomatic solution at this stage”, Armenia’s PM Nikol Pashinyan said, calling on “everyone to stand up for the motherland with arms in hand, and assist the army with their knowledge and skills”. The speech followed his meetings with the former presidents of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as the leaders of largest local parties – which means this is a common stance of all political forces in Armenia and Karabakh.

• Russia’s foreign minister held separate meetings with his counterparts from Azerbaijan and Armenia in Moscow to discuss “the possibility of implementing the previously reached agreements on a ceasefire in the zone of the Karabakh conflict”.

• A motion to recognize Karabakh as an independent state was presented to the US Congress. Its author is Grace Napolitano, Democratic Congressman from California.

• News, reports, photos / videos on military operations in Karabakh for October 21, 2020