The crisis between Azerbaijan and Armenia continues for the fourth day, could draw in other countries
The epidemic is going rampant but even during these uncertain times, two former Soviet republics, Azerbaijan and Armenia, have started acting on their vendetta against one another. They have been in territorial conflict for decades but this is the biggest eruption since their 1994 ceasefire.
The attack started on Sunday and has entered its fourth day on Wednesday. Both countries deny being the attacker, blaming the other for starting this war. Over a thousand soldiers and civilians have been killed so far as the violence continues.
Armenia claimed to have put down four Azerbaijan helicopters and destroyed 33 of their tanks and munitions. However, Azerbaijan denied such claims by Armenia. On Sunday, the President of Azerbaijan said that his army had suffered damage, but he did not give any details.
On Monday, Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry put out a statement claiming that on Monday morning, Armenian forces started shooting in Tartar city. At the same time, Armenia officials said that the fight has been going overnight and Azerbaijan initiated a deadly attack in the morning.
This whole dispute is about the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which now falls in Azerbaijan but is run by ethnic Armenians and is supported by Armenia. The Nagorno-Karabakh is a mountainous area comprising 4,400 square kilometres. The current tension started in 2018, when both the army increased their forces in the border area.
In the late 1980s, when the Soviet was losing power, separatist currents picked up in Nagorno-Karabakh, the national assembly decided to dissolve the region’s autonomous status and join Armenia. But Baku went against this decision which led to a military conflict. In 1991, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Armenia and Azerbaijan both became independent countries and their disputes led to an open war which led to the deaths of tens of thousands of people.
This fight has spread well beyond their borders of the enclave and could very well turn into a war between Azerbaijan and Armenia if Russia enters this situation. The Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan talked to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday via phone. He said that they aren't asking for help yet but did not rule out doing so.
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Pashinyan was quoted saying, "Armenia will ensure its security, with the participation of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) or without it."
If the situation escalates any further, it could only mean war between these 2 former Soviet republics. And this war would draw in their close allies for help, Russia to help Armenia and Turkey, who is a close ally of Azerbaijan.
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