Russia to continue supplying armament to Azerbaijan
Russia will continue supplying armament to Azerbaijan, its strategic partner, in accordance with its contractual obligations, Dmitry Rogozin, Russia's vice premier, said in response to journalists' request to comment on the Armenian president's statement that Russia had supplied great quantities of weapons to Azerbaijan and to clarify whether Russia intends to continue such supplies.
«Everything in accordance with contracts – both countries are our strategic partners,» Rogozing is quoted by TASS.
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict broke out in 1988 February when the Nagorno-Karabakh autonomous region announced its secession from Azerbaijan. In September 1991, the region declared itself the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and, over the course of the enduring conflict, Azerbaijan subsequently lost control of the region.
In 1994, a Russia-brokered cease-fire was signed and peace talks have been held since, mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group.
On April 2, 2016 Azerbaijan resorted to an "unprecedented provocation along the entire perimeter of the contact line" with Nagorno-Karabakh. According to the NKR Defense Army, during the three-day fighting they have destroyed 2 helicopters, 29 tanks, one missile system Grad, heavy flame-throwing systems TOS-1, 6 armored vehicles, including 1 infantry fighting vehicle, 1 unit of engineering machinery and 6 Azerbaijani drones killing also over 300 Azeri soldiers.
The Armenian side lost 14 tanks, 36 servicemen were killed, and 122 wounded. Four civilians, including one child, were killed as well. Armenians also have 21 missing people. A ceasefire agreement was reached Tuesday at 12:00. ---0---