Four years have passed since Azerbaijan’s aggression against Armenia.

ArmInfo.  Three years have passed Since the September aggression by Azerbaijan against Armenia, four years have passed. The Armenian authorities organized various celebrations on the day that claimed the lives of 224 sons of the Armenian people.

On the night of September 13, 2022, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces launched large-scale military operations on the border with Armenia, using UAVs and large-caliber weapons.  Armenian positions and peaceful border settlements in the areas of Goris, Vardenis, Sotk, Jermuk and other directions in eastern and southern Armenia came under intense strikes and artillery fire.  Armenia appealed to Russia, the CSTO and the UN Security Council in connection with Azerbaijan’s aggression against Armenia’s sovereign territory. During the two-day fighting, the Armenian side lost 224 people. Among those killed were female servicemembers Susanna Margaryan, Anush Apetyan, Alisa Melkonyan, Irina Gasparyan and Gayane Abgaryan, whom the enemy side killed with particular brutality. Azerbaijan then confirmed the deaths of 80 servicemen. At France’s initiative, the UN Security Council held a special meeting on September 14-15 due to the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. Armenia initiated a special meeting of the OSCE Council. Following the special meeting, the CSTO sent a mission to Armenia to prepare a report on the situation.  At that time, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces also attacked one of the posts of the Border Guard Department of the Russian FSB in Armenia, in Gegharkunik Province.

With the participation of the international community, an agreement was reached on a ceasefire along the entire Armenian-Azerbaijani border starting at 20:00 on September 14. On the evening of September 17, the Azerbaijani side handed over to Armenia the bodies of 32 Armenian servicemen who had given their lives for their homeland. It is noteworthy that among them was the body of David Gishyan, whom Azerbaijani servicemen treated medically on camera but, as was later revealed, finished off while he was wounded. We should also add that footage of the dismemberment by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces of an Armenian female servicemember was circulated online. She had been captured alive. She was then raped and brutally murdered. Her fingers and toes were cut off, her eyes were gouged out, and her body was abused; all of this was posted on the worldwide web with delight. The blood runs cold in one’s veins at this footage.

As a result of this enemy aggression, more than 240 sq. km of Armenia’s sovereign territories in Gegharkunik, Vayots Dzor and Syunik provinces were occupied.

Curiously, on this tragic day for the Armenian people, the Armenian authorities did not remember those who had died. Instead, on September 13, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan spent the entire day posting enthusiastic photographs from the finale of an international cycling race.  Moreover, a large concert was organized in one of the country’s cities.