September 27, 2020
Azerbaijan makes an all-out surprise attack on Artsakh. Martial law was declared as volunteers rush to the frontlines.
September 29, 2020
After two days, the Azeri surprise attack did not achieve its goal of overrunning Artsakh. Azerbaijani forces fired on the Armenian military base in Vardenis.
September 30, 2020
• A Turkish F-16 jet flying from Azeri airspace attacked an Armenian Sukhoy aircraft, flying 60 km inside Armenian air space. Turkey denied involvement.
• Investigative reports from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights discovered that Turkey had hired Syrian mercenaries to travel to Azerbaijan under the pretext of protecting oil installations, but were sent directly to the front.
• French President Macron condemns Turkey for attacking Armenia, one of few inter-national leaders to do so.
October 1, 2020
• According to Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Defense, Azeri units shelled Armenian positions and the Artsakh Ministry of Defense repelled these advances. Azerbaijan issued a denial of their aircraft attacks.
• Armenian surgeons managed to save the life of Le Monde’s correspondent, Allan Kaval.
• The Iranian air defense shot down an Azeri aircraft after condemning Azerbaijan’s attacks.
October 2, 2020
Artsakh’s Ministry of Defense announced that Azeri forces bombed Stepanakert, and the Armenian Foreign Ministry stated that the Azeri military deployed long-range weapons to destroy civilian infrastructure.
October 3, 2020
Azeri rockets and drones from Ganja (Azerbaijan) continued to bomb Artsakh’s capital of Stepanakert, targeting civilians and blocks of apartments. The Artsakh army warned the civilian population of coming attacks so that they could flee the area. The Artsakh forces attacked the Ganja military airport to ensure the Turkish F-16 couldn’t use this conveniently situated airport.
October 4, 2020
BBC announced that their reporters had fled shelling in the city of Stepanakert. Armenian Defense Ministry spokesperson Shushan Stepanyan published footage of Azeri soldiers fleeing Mataghis after Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev tweeted that his armies had captured Mataghis.
October 5, 2020
• Azeri artillery and rockets continued bombing civilian neighborhoods and schools in Stepanakert.
• Armenia claims 200 Azeri soldiers were killed in only one of their planned attacks.
• Amnesty International’s Crisis Response identified and condemned Azerbaijan’s usage of cluster munitions.
October 7, 2020
Investigative journalists acquired images of Turkish F-16s and other transport aircrafts stationed at the Ganja International Airport, confirming formerly denied Turkish military support of Azerbaijan.
October 8, 2020
• The Ghazanchetsots Cathedral in Shushi was repeatedly bombarded and damaged by Azeri missile attacks, wounding a Russian journalist and ten civilians sheltering in the church. Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry denied involvement.
• The international community advises both sides to stop fighting, equating attacker and attacked.
October 10, 2020
A ceasefire was agreed upon after ten hours of discussion in Moscow, Russia, facilitated by the International Committee of the Red Cross. Azeri Armed Forces launched an attack on Stepanakert and drone strikes on Yeritsvank and Artsvanik, according to the Armenian Assembly.
October 15, 2020
Azeri missiles landed in Iran’s East Azerbaijan province of the Khudaferin district. Iran’s Foreign Ministry warned Azerbaijan that they would not remain indifferent as international tensions escalated.
October 16, 2020
Azerbaijani armed forces circulated a graphic video of the beheading of an Armenian soldier. The Human Rights Defender of Armenia Arman Tatoyan recorded and condemned this criminal action.
October 17, 2020
A humanitarian ceasefire was agreed upon by Armenia and Azerbaijan, following statements of the French Republic, the Russian Federation, and the United States. The truce was violated by Azerbaijan only a few hours later.
October 23, 2020
• Authorities from Artsakh confirmed Azeri forces rocketed villages in the Martuni province.
• The Human Rights Watch documented several instances of Azeri cluster munitions and demanded an end to the usage of banned weapons.
October 25, 2020
As clashes intensified, the United States announced that both sides agreed on a third ceasefire beginning on the morning of October 26.
October 26, 2020
Artsakh authorities confirmed that only an hour after the ceasefire announcement, Azerbaijan launched an air strike on Khojavend.
Banner photo by ITAR-TASS News Agency / Alamy
