Putin calls for ceasefire and invites Armenia, Azerbaijan foreign ministers to Moscow

YEREVAN, October 9. /ARKA/. After a series of telephone conversations with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Russian President Vladimir Putin called on the sides to cease hostilities in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone for humanitarian reasons in order to exchange the bodies of the dead and captives, according to the official website of the Kremlin.

"The foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia are invited to Moscow on October 9 to hold consultations on these issues with the mediation of the Russian foreign minister," the message says.

War in Artsakh

On September 27, at 07:10, Azerbaijani troops launched an offensive along the entire length of the contact line in Artsakh, but were thrown back in several directions. Intense fighting continues in the south, southeast and north of the front line. Turkey joined the aggression. Residential areas are being shelled as well. 

The Azerbaijani side suffered losses in manpower (more than 4,069 people killed and over 5,000 wounded) and equipment, in particular, 145 UAVs, 4 units of TOS – 1A, 4 Smerch and Uragan MLRS, more than 496 tanks and other armored vehicles, 18 helicopters and 17 aircraft. According to the data of the defense ministry of Armenia and Artsakh, more than 320 Armenian servicemen were killed and hundreds wounded on the Armenian side. Also 21 civilians were killed and 90 wounded on the Armenian side. 

Armenia informed the international community, including the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, about the aggression by Azerbaijan against Artsakh, also about the shelling of peaceful settlements.

Martial law and general mobilization were declared in Artsakh and Armenia. -0---