Azerbaijan has been targeting the territory of Armenia (particularly the Vardenis region) since September 27

The Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan issued a statement on the morning of September 29, accusing Armenia of shelling the Dashkesan region of Azerbaijan from the Vardenis region of Armenia.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia immediately denied the statement, noting that it was an absolute lie. “This misinformation is absolutely false. It aims to prepare the ground for the expansion of the geography of hostilities, including aggression against the Republic of Armenia,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Anna Naghdalyan wrote.

Besides, the available evidence proves that Azerbaijan targeted the civilian population and villages of Armenia a few days ago.

Thus, in the early morning of September 27, 2020, Azerbaijan launched its main military operations along the entire line of contact with Artsakh, but from the very first day, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces also targeted the territory of the Republic of Armenia, the same Vardenis region.

The representative of the Ministry of Defense Artsrun Hovhannisyan informed the journalists after the start of the hostilities on September 27 that the Vardenis region had been shelled since early morning.

On the same day, the Fact Investigation Platform shared a video showing how the residents of Lusakunk village near Vardenis were collecting the pieces of a downed Azerbaijanii UAV from the area adjacent to the village.

Residents of Lusakunk village told Fip.am that an Azerbaijani UAV was downed near the village on September 28 as well.

Today, on September 29, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia Shushan Stepanyan informed that the Azerbaijani Armed Forces have opened fire on the Vardenis military unit of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia, as well as used air force in the direction of the positions.

MoD representative Artsrun Hovhannisyan informed on his Facebook page that a civilian bus is on fire in Vardenis due to a UAV strike. The governor of Gegharkunik Province in Armenia also published photos.

Photos taken from the Facebook page of Gnel Sanosyan, Governor of Geharkunik Province

Foreign Minister of the Republic of Armenia Zohrab Mnatsakanyan said earlier today that Azerbaijan had used Turkish UAVs in the direction of Vardenis, causing casualties among the civilian population.

Thus, Azerbaijan has been targeting the civilian population and civilian infrastructure of the Republic of Armenia since September 27. Moreover, at the moment Azerbaijan continues to keep the civilian population of Armenia under fire.

Nelli Lazaryan