Official: Situation on Frontline (Updated)

• 04.07.2016, 20:40
•  World,  Armenia,  NKR

07.04.2016

20:10

In the Artsakh air another drone of the opponent has been destroyed. The press service of the NKR Ministry of Defense informed about this. 

10:37

On April 6 from 10:35 to 23:00 the opponent started to actively fire in the direction of RA Defense Units and settlements in Vardenis town of the Republic of Armenia, Spokesman of the RA Defense Ministry Artsrun Hovhannisyan posted in his Facebook page.

RA MoD official representative noted that in addition to various firearms, the opponent also fired several bullets from NSV and DShK  large caliber machine guns as well as from 60 mm mortars.

The Armenian side did its best not to violate the agreement on the ceasefire and troop advancement.

09:00

According to operative data, this night on the contact line of Karabakh and Azerbaijani armed forces numerous violations of ceasefire have been recorded. Azerbaijani Armed Forces, in addition to the use of firearms of various calibers and mortars, also made two sabotage attempts.

As the press service of NKR Defense Army informs, the advanced units of NKR Defense Army detected the attempts of the Azerbaijani special forces and threw them back to their positions.

00:01

According to operative data, on April 6, at about 6:30 p.m., in the support point located in the north-eastern (in the direction of Talish) direction of the contact line of the Karabakh-Azerbaijani forces from the fire of the opponent Defense Army contractual soldier Armen Gasparyan, born in 1974, was deadly wounded, the press service of NKR Defense Ministry informs.

An investigation is underway to determine the circumstances of the incident.

 

06.04.2016

15:20

At the night of April 6, two Armenian servicemen were killed in Karvachar. The RA Defense Ministry Spokesman Artsrun Hovhannisyan wrote this on his Facebook. The circumstances of the death of the servicemen will be announced later.

08:55

According to operative data, the ceasefire on NKR-Azerbaijani border reached the day before at 12:00 was mostly respected at the night of April 6, the press service of the NKR Ministry of Defense informs.

 

05.04.2016

21:50

The losses of the Armenian side on April 5, 2016

Servicemen

29 killed, of whom 7 officers

101 wounded

28 missing servicemen

Military equipments

14 tanks

4 infantry fighting vehicle (IFV)

Violations of ceasefire declared at 12:00 by Azerbaijan

12:10 in the direction of Martakert the opponent shot by a tank 7, by 82 mm grenade launcher

12:56-13:20 in the direction of Martuni the opponent shot by D-30 cannon

14:05 in the direction of Mataghis the opponent shot by 82 mm grenade launchers 

18:30

The spokesman of the NKR Defense Army Senor Hasratyan few minutes ago noted that the opponent started firing in the direction of Mataghis, Razm.info reports.

"Yes, in some directions the opponent violated the agreement reached and restarted firing, however not with the previous intensity.  The units of the defense army do not respond staying loyal to the ceasefire agreement."

 

14:40

Today, at about 12:00 p.m. the two sides have agreed to stop firing along the entire Karabakh-Azerbaijani border, as at this moment negotiations are being held.

NKR Defense Ministry Spokesman Senor Hasratyan said this in a talk with Hetq.am, thus confirming the news of two-side cessation of firing.

 

09:30

The spokesman for the Armenian Defense Ministry Artsrun Hovhannisyan said that Azerbaijani servicemen on Tuesday shelled villages in the Tavush region of Armenia.

"Last night and this morning, growth of intense military confrontation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border in the north-eastern part, in the direction of Berdavan and Koti villages of the RA Tavush region was recorded. The Azerbaijani side has used various caliber of weapons - 60 and 82 mm mortars. As a result of the responsive actions of the RA armed forces subdivisions, the activity of the opponent was suppressed. During the exchange of fire Zori Goris Ashrafyan (born 1983) was wounded," Hovannisian on his Facebook.

08:35

The aggression initiated by Azerbaijan at dawn of April 2 continued this night as well. Day by day increasing the scale of the used weapons at the dawn of April 5 the opponent used Smerch in the southern direction of the contact line, official page of NKR Defense Ministry reports.

During the same period the opponent continued shelling the settlements and military positions, actively using drones on the whole contact line of Karabakh-Azerbaijani fighting forces, one of which was destroyed by NKR Defense Army.

 

04.04.2016

21:40

On the Karabakh-Azerbaijani border fighting continues, NKR Defense Ministry reports. During the day, in addition to the weapons used the day before,  Azerbaijan also used "ТОС 1" heavy Flamethrower System, military drones and other modern weaponry. In spite of it the Azerbaijani military did not manage to turn the developments in its advantage. On the contrary, all the unites of the Defense Army not only successfully demonstrated themselves in positional battles, but as a result of competent and purposeful actions destroyed opponent’s 5 tanks, 3 attack drones, various military equipments and killed tens of soldiers.

Perhaps this success explains the unbalanced statement of the Azerbaijani military leaders, in which they threat to bombard peaceful settlements of Artsakh Republic and particularly its capital Stepanakert.

NKR Defense Ministry warns personally to Hasanov and his "supreme" that in case of such developments the response will be asymmetric and more painful.

 

21:37 

The losses of the Azerbaijani army during the 4 days of military actions estimated by Razminfo:

-       23 killed soldiers, including 8 officers/subalterns, with all names confirmed + more than 100 soldiers, whose names are not known yet;

-       20 tanks;

-       1 “Grad” Missile Systems;

-       1 TOC flamethrower;

-       6 armored vehicles (including 1 IFV , 1 engineering machine)

-       2 helicopters;

-       6 drones.

 

21:25 

The losses of NKR Defense Army during the 4 days of military actions declared by Defense Army Colonel Victor Arustamyan:

-       20 killed soldiers, including 6 officers/subalterns;

-       72 wounded soldiers, including 8 officers/subalterns;

-       26 missing soldiers;

-       4 civilians, including 1 child;

-       3 positions in the north;

-       5 positions in the south (in general 200-250 square meters);

-       7 tanks.

This is given according to 04.04.2016 11:00 a.m. data. 

16:25

Starting from April 2 the international community actively expresses its concern on the destabilization of the situation around Nagorno-Karabakh. Particularly. all international, regional organizations and separate countries call the sides to demonstrate restraint, to stop military actions, to restrain from the steps that will intensify the situation and so on. RA Defense Ministry largely highlights the reaction of the international community and the calls directed to the conflicting sides. RA Defense Ministry underlines that the Republic of Armenia is a security guarantor of the Nagorno-Karabakh people.

At the same time, as a side that does not take part in the military operations, RA Defense Ministry especially values the fact that those calls are directed to the sides factually engaged in the operations – the governments of Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh. Sharing the calls to end military actions,  RA Defense Ministry brings to the attention of the international community the fact that for reaching ceasefire between Azerbaijani and Karabakh forces, besides political statements, concrete actions are to be agreed on and realized: to  develop technical details  of  ceasefire, to organize removal/separation of  fighting forces and to develop mechanisms to preserve a ceasefire.

At the same time the RA Defense Ministry brings to the attention of the international community, including human rights, humanitarian organizations the fact  that the military actions initiated by the government of Azerbaijan  constitute violation of the UN Constitution, the Declaration on Principles of International Law concerning Friendly Relations and Co-operation among States, 1970, the OSCE  Final Act 1975, Helsinki other documents  and number of other international  legal documents.

During the military operations initiated by Azerbaijan number of actions against Nagorno Karabakh soldiers and civilians realized in the style of international  terrorist organizations have been revealed which according to the international humanitarian law  represent war crimes.

Among them the most obvious ones are the cases of torture against combatants and prisoners of war, who no longer participate in the fighting, up to cases of beheading, their shooting and display for terrorist purposes, the murder of the civilians who remained under the control of those forces, torture of corpses and etc. RA Defense Ministry declares that the Azerbaijani officials and the ones responsible for the war crimes will be subject to legal liability, also before the international community," the RA MoD statement reads.

15:00

"According to confirmed information, the combat readiness of Azerbaijani subdivisions fell so much, that even terrorist mercenaries with many years of experience cannot help them. At present, in that part as in 1994, Azerbaijan uses punitive detachments, who shoot those retreating," the RA Defense Ministry Spokesman Artsrun Hovhannisyan said. 

12:52

"The Azerbaijani subdivisions, being unable to break the resistance of the Armenian side tried to use heavy armament, including ТОС-1 flamethrowers and one military drone.

However, Armenian artillerymen have neutralized these systems, and the air defense units have shot down one drone," Artsrun Hovhannisyan wrote. 

12:00

In the south the Azerbaijani side has suffered manpower and armor losses, the RA Defense Ministry Spokesman Artsrun Hovhannisyan wrote this on his Facebook. 

"From the series of good news: in fact, some of the 5-6 neutralized tanks were in the south. The Azerbaijani subdivision was encircled in the southern front and completely destroyed, leaving manpower and armor losses," he wrote

 

11:18

Falling under the fire of accurate and far-reaching Armenian artilleryman, Azerbaijani subdivisions, which from reserve tried to move to the frontline, were destroyed. The RA Defense Ministry Spokesman Artsrun Hovhannisyan wrote on his Facebook. 

10:52

Heated battles are going on along the line of contact between the Karabakh-Azerbaijani forces. Causing the enemy considerable manpower and equipment losses, Karabakh forces have taken the initiative in their hands along the north-eastern and south-eastern directions, the RA Defense Ministry Spokesman Artsrun Hovhannisyan wrote on his Facebook. 

During the military operations in the north-eastern direction the opponent has  lost 3 tanks, ("I have already said about this"), while in the south-eastern direction - 2 tanks.

09:30

New happy news, in the morning during the military actions, Armenian units have neutralized 3 new tanks, the RA Defense Minister's spokesman Artsrun Hovhannisyan wrote on his Facebook.

08:10

On the night of April 4, all along the line of contact between Karabakh-Azerbaijani forces, the opponent has continued bombarding the Defense Army positions and  civilian settlements, NKR Defense Ministry statement says.

"Early in the morning, on 07:00 a.m. heavy bombardment started in the South-Eastern and North-Eastern directions of the contact line. The Azerbaijani army uses 152 mm cannons, "Grad" missile systems and tanks. The Defense Army forces take all necessary measures to suppress the aggressive actions of the opponent and confidently carry out their military duty."

03.04.2016

19:50

According to the official page of the NKR MoD, on the NKR-Azerbaijani border the fighting continues.

"In the North-Eastern direction as a result of the fighting 1 tank, 1 MM-21 (“Grad”) type station artillery, 1 engineering equipment and 1 drone have been destroyed in the direction of Martakert."

16:25

The statement of the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry on unilateral cessation of military actions is disinformation. This is said in the statement of NKR Defense Ministry.

According to the press service of NKR Defense Ministry, "on the night of April 2, Azerbaijan launched a large-scale offensive against Nagorno-Karabakh, using almost all the types of military equipment at its disposal. Moreover, after issuing the statement, Azerbaijani armed forces shelled Armenian settlements, particularly Martakert, using BM-21 "Grad" truck-mounted multiple rocket launchers and 152 mm cannons.

These facts, as well as the terms 'counter-offensives' and 'strengthening the positions of the  liberated territories' in the statement demonstrate the document is false, its real aim being imitated ceasefire with open preconditions.

The NKR Defense Army is ready to discuss and support the proposal for ceasefire.” 

 

13:55

The situation along the Karabakh-Azerbaijani borders remains tense. The most active fights are in the North-Eastern and South-Eastern directions of the frontline. The sub-unites of the NKR Defense army inflict serious human and equipment casualties  to the opponent, offical page of NKR Defense Ministry reports.

According to the confirmed data the Azerbaijani side has already lost 3 tanks. It is to be reminded that the opponent today also has lost 1 tank and 1 infantry fighting vehicle in the South-Eastern direction. Overall the opponent lost 14 tanks and more than five military equipments, including one infantry fighting vehicle. The Karabakh army lost 1 tank.

In the South-Eastern parts of the frontline the active fights also continue.  The opponent tries to compensate its powerlessness by shelling the peaceful residents  from Mm-21 "Grad" and and 152 mm missile artillery system.

11:35

Intensive fighting continues in the South-Eastern and North-Eastern directions in Artsakh, Razm Info reports.

In response to the wide scale shelling launched by the opponent early in the morning, Defense Army started retaliatory operations and re-took the strategically important post in the direction of Talish, seized by the Azerbaijani forces the day before. The opponent was pushed back after suffering serious losses. Two soldiers of the Karabakh side have been wounded.

The operation of the Karabakh forces is also successful in the Southern direction. The Defense Army units destroyed 2 tanks and 1 infantry fighting vehicle of the opponent in an attempt to suppress it.  

07:25 

On March 3 at about 06:00 a.m. the Azerbaijani side resumed the shelling of Karabakh positions with rocket and artillery means and armored vehicles, the press service of the NKR Ministry of Defense informs.

The shelling is carried out in the southern direction of NKR-Azerbaijani border. "Divisions of the NKR Defense Army carried out the necessary actions to suppress the enemy's aggressive actions," the Defense Ministry says. Details of the situation on the front line will be announced later.

 

 

02.04.2016

 

19:00

"The situation remains extremely tense along the line of contact between the Karabakh-Azerbaijani forces.

The frontline subdivisions continue to successfully conduct defensive battles and cause heavy losses to the opponent. Overall, on April 1 and 2 at night and during the day the Azerbaijani side has suffered 200 losses during the military operations. Only in the direction of Talish at least 30 soldiers of the Azerbaijani special detachment were killed, 2 tanks, 2 UAVs were destroyed in the direction of Martakert, while in the northern direction - 1 helicopter. More tense clashes are taking place in south-eastern direction. The opponent is using armored vehicles, artillery, including MM -21 type of equipment. The target of the attack has become not only the positions of the Defense Army, but also the peaceful settlements deep into the positions. In this direction at about 12:30 pm, one military helicopter and 2 tanks of the opponent have been destroyed by Defense Army anti-air forces.

Unfortunately, during the heated fights the Karabakh side has also suffered losses, about which more information will be provided later," NKR Defense Army statement says. 

 

19:00

"The Azerbaijani side has more than 200 losses," NKR Defense Ministry informs. 

 

18:35 

"The information spread by Azerbaijani media that Azerbaijani armed forces have taken various settlements in the territory of NKR, the Armenian side suffered losses of dozens of armaments, military equipment, and hundreds of deaths, is an obvious misinformation and does not have to do anything with the reality. The opponent, forcibly confessing about its losses, in this way just wants to justify the losses in the eyes of its own society,"  Artsrun Hovhannisyan noted.

16:00

"The situation on the border continues to remain tense, military actions in different directions also continue. News on large number of losses, deportations, mobilization in the Republic does not correspond to the reality," RA Defense Ministry spokesman Artsrun Hovhannisyan informs. 

12:56

The Defense Ministry spokesman Artsrun Hovhannisyan published the photo of the destroyed UAV.

 

12:50

"Military actions along the contact line of Karabakh-Azerbaijani forces continue. The most heated fights are taking place in southern (Hadrut) and north-southern (Martakert) direction of the frontline that has turned into a battlefield.

According to the confirmed information Karabakh forces along the southeastern direction have destroyed 2 tanks and along the northeastern direction 1 tank and 1 UAV.

It was during the preparation of this message, when it became known that at 12:30 pm in the southeastern direction another military helicopter of the enemy was shot and in the north-eastern direction - 1 UAV," NKR Defense Ministry's official website informs.

12:37

"During the military actions Azerbaijani army lost also a UAV and a tank," the spokesman of the RA Defense Ministry informs. 

12:08

According to the NKR Defense Army near the settlement Levonarkh, NKR Defense Army special units have discovered and destroyed the enemy's subversive group, which leaving corpses, retreated.

11:29

"Military operations continue.

The Ministry of Defense is in constant contact with military-diplomatic representatives of foreign countries and international organizations for giving information on the developments on the contact line of Karabakh-Azerbaijani forces and for receiving necessary consultation," the Ministry of Defense informs.

11:14

The RA Defense Ministry officially confirms the information about the active attack operations by the Azerbaijani forces on April 1 and in the morning of April 2 along the entire length of contact line of Karabakh-Azerbaijani forces. During the operations, the opponent, using tanks, artillery and air force, tried to penetrate deep into NKR Defense Army and take tactical positions.

At this moment due to the operations of NKR Defense Army units, the opponent was thrown back along the entire contact line. The opponent has losses. Military operations continue.

The Armenian Defense Ministry strongly condemns the unprecedented aggressive and irresponsible decision of the Azerbaijani authorities to start military operations and officially announces that if these operations continue, they can lead to unforeseen consequences for the Azerbaijani side.

The Azerbaijani authorities bear the full responsibility for the unprecedented tension on the contact line of Karabakh-Azerbaijani forces.

The Ministry calls upon  the international community, especially the OSCE Minsk Group, to focus the necessary attention on the frontline tension, anticipating an urgent intervention to keep the situation under control and avoid large-scale military operations.

10:21

 According to reliable sources, the sounds of war are heard till Barda. In the direction of Agdam and Tartar Azerbaijani houses are shaken from the explosions. The enemy that attacked at night has losses both among combatants and civilians. In the direction of Tartar some villages are even deserted. Azerbaijani the so-called border village Ghapanlu is also deserted.