About our Stepanakert news
Latest news on Stepanakert, the capital and largest city of the self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh, a de facto independent state that is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan. The city has been the center of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, a territorial dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan that dates back to the Soviet era and has escalated into several wars.
On 19 September 2023, Stepanakert was under heavy bombardment by the Azerbaijani armed forces, who claimed to have launched "anti-terrorist" operations in Nagorno-Karabakh. The Armenian side denied this allegation and accused Azerbaijan of violating the ceasefire agreement that was brokered by Russia in 2020. The shelling caused panic and damage in the city, where civilians have been living under constant threat of war for decades.
On 29 September 2023, Azerbaijani authorities had taken control of the city, with almost the entire Armenian population forced to flee to Armenia ahead of their advancing forces. On 15 October, Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev attended a flag raising ceremony in the city, where the president raised the Azerbaijani national flag.
The latest escalation of violence in Nagorno-Karabakh has raised concerns among the international community, especially the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, which is tasked with mediating a peaceful resolution of the conflict. The US Secretary of State and the Armenian Prime Minister discussed the need for a dialogue between Baku and Stepanakert, as well as an international mechanism for monitoring the situation on the ground. The EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus also expressed his support for a genuine Baku-Stepanakert dialogue and urged both sides to refrain from provocative actions and rhetoric.
The situation in Stepanakert and Nagorno-Karabakh remains tense and unpredictable, as both Armenia and Azerbaijan have not renounced their claims to the disputed territory.