The fighting reignited in the South Caucasus, and the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan resumed its violation. This news has aroused widespread attention around the world. Armenia was caught in the middle of a war when Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry suddenly declared war, saying it had launched a so-called "anti-terrorist operation" aimed at preserving constitutional order and ensuring the country's security.
The focus of the conflict is the Karabakh region, commonly known as Nagorno-Karabakh. The Azerbaijani military claims that their actions are aimed at stopping "large-scale provocations" on the Armenian side, with the main goal of destroying "positions of the Armenian armed forces" as well as other military targets, and insists that they will not target civilians. However, the development of the conflict raises fears of unpredictability.
Azerbaijan's army moved quickly, artillery units opened fire, drones, missiles and long-range fire slammed into Armenia. The Armenian army's anti-aircraft missile system near Stepanakert was destroyed, and although it is unclear what weapons were used to strike, it can be speculated that it may be Turkey's "standard-bearer" TB-2 reconnaissance integrated armed drone, Israel's "Harpy" and "Harop" suicide drones, or Israel's "Lola" short-range tactical ballistic missile, or even a Belarusian-made copy of China's "Polonaz" long-range guided rocket. The strike was clearly well reconnoitred and planned.
As the fighting progressed, Armenia closed the country's airspace, while Azerbaijan also announced the closure of Armenia's airspace. As a result, there are no civilian airliners flying over the border, according to the World Civil Aviation System.
During the conflict, Armenia's electronic warfare systems were attacked by suicide drones, which exposed the Armenian army to heavy shelling in the Arzakh and Stepanakert regions. At the same time, Azerbaijan also claimed that the Armenian army carried out heavy shelling, showing that both sides are actively counterattacking.
So why is there another conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan? The public version is that Azerbaijan accuses Armenia of carrying out a military build-up in the Nagorno-Karabakh region and launching sabotage operations against the Azerbaijani army. In addition, a mine explosion killed two employees of the Azerbaijani Highway Service, and when an Azerbaijani police car went to the rescue, another mine was triggered, killing four Azerbaijani policemen.
But in reality, the root causes of conflict may include historical legacies and geostrategic conflicts. The question of belonging to Nagorno-Karabakh has a long history and was once the homeland of the Armenian nation, but with the changes of history, a large number of Azerbaijanis settled here and became part of Azerbaijani history. The feud between the two countries has long existed. However, after the drastic changes in Eastern Europe, Armenia took military action to occupy the region, which, although legally belonging to Azerbaijan, led to disputes between the two countries. In 2020, Azerbaijan recovered the region by force, but the two sides remain at odds on numerous issues.
Geostrategic factors also play an important role in conflicts. Turkey sided with Azerbaijan and offered support, while Russia's attitude was not yet clear.
