Day: September 19, 2023
Counter-terrorist operation in Karabakh
The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry announced the beginning of an anti-terrorist operation against illegal armed formations in the part of Karabakh under the control of the Russian peacekeeping contingent.
It is particularly noted that the strikes are only against the positions of the Armenian army, populated areas and infrastructural objects are not shelled.
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“Systematic shelling of the positions of the Azerbaijani Army by the Armenian armed forces in the Karabakh region, continued mining of our territories, engineering improvement of combat positions, as well as an increase in the number of trenches and dugouts in recent months has caused even greater tension.
There has also been a strengthening of combat positions with personnel, armored vehicles, artillery and other firepower, bringing units to a high level of combat readiness, creation of additional mobilization units, expansion of reconnaissance activities against Azerbaijani Army units, penetration deep into our positions to re-minimize mine-cleared territories and civilian roads for sabotage and terrorist purposes.
On September 19, on the Ahmedbeyli-Fizuli-Shusha highway, a mine planted in advance for terrorist purposes by reconnaissance and sabotage groups of the Armenian armed forces in the Karabakh economic region of Azerbaijan killed civilians and disabled a vehicle belonging to the State Road Agency of Azerbaijan. On the same day, a vehicle carrying servicemen of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs was blown up by a mine planted by a reconnaissance and sabotage group of the Armenian armed forces, killing and injuring our servicemen. Such facts are a continuation of Armenia’s purposeful and systematic terrorist policy against Azerbaijan.
The Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan has repeatedly stated that the continued presence of Armenian armed forces formations in the Karabakh economic region of Azerbaijan in violation of the provisions of the Trilateral Statement signed on November 10, 2020 is a source of serious threat to peace and stability in the region.
In order to ensure the provisions of the Trilateral Statement, suppress large-scale provocations in the Karabakh economic region, disarm and withdraw Armenian armed forces formations from our territories, neutralize their military infrastructure, ensure the safety of civilians returning to the territories liberated from occupation, civil servants involved in construction and reconstruction work and our military personnel, as well as restore the constitutional order of the Republic of Azerbaijan, antiterrorist operations have begun in the region.
Within the framework of the measures, positions of the Armenian armed forces formations, their long-term firing points, as well as military means and objects of military purpose are put out of operation using high-precision weapons in the front line and in depth.
We reiterate that the civilian population and civilian infrastructure are not targets, only legitimate military targets are taken out of action.
The command of the peacekeeping contingent of the Russian Federation and the leadership of the Turkish-Russian Monitoring Center have been informed about the activities,” the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said in a statement.
Ukrainian Foreign Ministry on the coup in Georgia
Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleh Nikolenko denied the information circulated by the Georgian security service about the alleged involvement of the Ukrainian side in the preparation of a coup d’état in Georgia.
The Georgian government is trying to demonize Ukraine in order to solve the country’s internal political issues, Nikolenko said.
“Attention was drawn to the statements of representatives of law enforcement agencies of Georgia about the alleged involvement of the Ukrainian side in the preparation of a coup in Georgia. […] The state of Ukraine has not interfered, is not interfering and has no plans to interfere in Georgia’s internal affairs,” the statement reads.
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On the morning of September 18, the Georgian Security Service issued a statement saying that the country wants to repeat the Ukrainian Euromaidan scenario and forcibly change the government.
The authors of the coup plan are named as Giorgi Lortkipanidze, deputy head of Ukraine’s military intelligence service, who was deputy interior minister Vano Merabishvili under Saakashvili’s government; former security guard of ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili, Mikhail Baturin; and Mamuka Mamulashvili, a member of Saakashvili’s inner circle.
Mamuka Mamulashvili, a member of Saakashvili’s inner circle and commander of the Georgian Legion operating in Ukraine.