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Media: Protesters clash with police at Russian embassy in Armenia over Azerbaijan's offensive

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Media: Protesters clash with police at Russian embassy in Armenia over Azerbaijan's offensive
A child holds an Armenian flag in a demonstration in Yerevan, Armenia, on May 28, 2021. Illustrative image. (Photo credit: Celestino Arce/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Armenian citizens clashed with the police at the Russian embassy in Yerevan as the people demand Moscow to stop Azerbaijan's offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh, the News.am news portal reported on Sept. 19.

The protestors are waving the flag of the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and are blocking entrances to the building, the news outlet said.

According to the Russian state news agency TASS, the embassy is completely blocked, and "normal activity remains impossible." Moscow reportedly sent a note to Armenia's Foreign Ministry asking to ensure restoration of the embassy's operations, TASS said.

Azerbaijan launched a military operation in Nagorno-Karabakh earlier on Sept. 19 with the claimed "goal of restoring the constitutional order" in the region. Shelling and explosions have been reported in Nagorno-Karabakh's de facto capital Stepanakert and other areas.

According to the latest information published by the Ombudsman of the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, 25 people have been killed as a result of the hostilities and another 138 have been injured.

Nagorno-Karabakh is recognized as Azerbaijan's territory under international law. Its population of 120,000 is predominantly Armenian.

The territory declared independence in 1991 with Yerevan's military support. Until 2020, Armenia de facto controlled Nagorno-Karabakh together with the surrounding regions.

In 2020, Azerbaijan launched a military operation establishing control over parts of Nagorno Karabakh.

In November 2020, Russia brokered an armistice between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Moscow sent forces to patrol the Lachin corridor, the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia.

In 2022, Yerevan accused Russia of failing its peacekeeping mission when Moscow began withdrawing its troops in 2022 and allowed Azerbaijan to blockade Nagorno-Karabakh, preventing basic supplies from reaching the population.

EU condemns Azerbaijan’s offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh
The EU top officials condemned Azerbaijan’s military offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh launched on Sept. 19, calling for immediate cessation of hostilities.
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Martin Fornusek

Senior News Editor

Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.

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