Armenia and Azerbaijan exchanged accusations of firing across their border on Tuesday, with Yerevan announcing the death of four of its soldiers amidst the ongoing disputes between the two Caucasus nations.
Moscow has called for restraint from both Baku and Yerevan as tensions continue to escalate, with Armenia accusing Azerbaijan of harboring new territorial ambitions, a claim strongly denied by Baku since its takeover of the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh region last September.
The Armenian Defense Ministry stated on Tuesday morning that units from the Azerbaijani armed forces fired towards Armenian positions in the Nerkhin Hand area.
The Azerbaijani border guard responded to what it described as a provocation by Armenian soldiers on Monday, which resulted in an Azerbaijani soldier being wounded, according to Baku.
The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry reported that Armenian soldiers opened fire twice late Monday on the village of Kukhanabi in the Tovuz region (northeast).
After the operation concluded on Tuesday, the Azerbaijani border guard confirmed the complete destruction of the military site from which the fire originated, warning of a more severe and decisive response to any provocations at the Armenia-Azerbaijan border.
The Armenian Defense Ministry, on the other hand, rejected these accusations, deeming them unrelated to reality and accusing Baku of undermining efforts to stabilize and secure the South Caucasus.
Josep Borrell, the European Union’s Foreign Affairs Chief, expressed regret over the shooting of Azerbaijani soldiers, considering Azerbaijan’s reaction as seemingly disproportionate.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov addressed the escalating situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, urging both Baku and Yerevan to exercise restraint.
He mentioned receiving disturbing news from the border and added that both sides must exercise restraint to avoid any actions that might be perceived as provocative by the other party.
Peskov highlighted that such incidents do not contribute to peace negotiations and do not bring Armenia and Azerbaijan any closer to signing a peace treaty.
He expressed hope that peace talks would continue.
This incident follows the reelection of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who has been in power for two decades, securing a fifth term in the oil-rich country.
