Armenia acknowledges loss of Karabakh’s second largest city

The separatist government of the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region says it has lost control of the mountain enclave’s second-largest city of Shusha and that Azerbaijani forces are closing in on the main city of Khankendi, also known as Stepanakert.

Vahram Poghosyan, a spokesman for the Nagorno-Karabakh’s ethnic Armenian leadership, acknowledged the loss on his official Facebook page on Monday.

“A chain of misfortunes follows and Shushi city is not in our control. We should keep it together as the enemy is near Stepanakert.”

Shushi, or Shusha, about 15 kilometers south of Khankendi, is culturally significant to both sides and could serve as a platform for a second assault on the region’s largest city.

After six weeks of heavy fighting, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev announced the capture of Shusha on Sunday. Armenian officials denied the city had been seized.

Azerbaijan says it seized Karabakh's second largest city, Armenia denies

Azerbaijani forces captured Azeri-majority Shusha following heavy fighting in the region, according to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

The announcement of the takeover of the Azeri-majority city came against the backdrop of reports on a ‘fierce combat’ between Azeri and Armenian forces in the disputed region.

Azeris reacted to the news by taking to the streets and celebrating in the capital Baku, waving flags and chanting slogans, with drivers sounding their car horns.

The loss of the city is a big blow to Armenian forces in their battle to keep control of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Karabakh is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, but has been held by ethnic Armenian separatists backed by Yerevan since 1992, when they broke from Azerbaijan in a war that killed some 30,000 people.

Since September 27, a new wave of clashes, the worst in decades, has been going on between Azeri troops and the Armenian-backed separatists of Nagorno-Karabakh, with both Yerevan and Baku accusing each other of provocation.

In these circumstances, Russia has brokered two ceasefires to end the deadly conflict, but its efforts have failed amid violations of agreement by Yerevan and Baku.

Russia ready to provide Armenia with 'all necessary help’ as Karabakh 4th truce falls apart

Russia will provide Armenia with “all necessary assistance,” if an ongoing fighting with Azerbaijan expands to Armenian territories.

The Kremlin said on Saturday that Russian President Vladimir Putin had discussed the conflict with President Emmanuel Macron of France.

The Kremlin said the leaders expressed serious concern about the escalation and the alleged involvement in the conflict of mercenaries and Takfiri terrorists coming from Syria and Libya.

Russia, a close ally to Armenia, is also in talks with Turkey, which supports Azerbaijan in the conflict.

Russian military chopper shot down over Armenia

Meanwhile, the Russian military announced in a statement on Monday that one of its Mi-24 helicopters had been shot down over Armenia near the border with Azerbaijan.

The statement said the helicopter was downed using a man-portable air-defense system. Two crew members were killed and another was injured.

Russia’s military base in Armenia was investigating the deadly incident, the statement added.

Shortly after the news was released, Azerbaijan admitted to have shot down the Russian helicopter on its border with Armenia. Baku apologized.

“The Azerbaijani side offers an apology to the Russian side in connection with this tragic incident,” the Azeri Foreign Ministry said in a statement, adding that the move was an accident and “not aimed against” Moscow.

The ministry said the helicopter flew at a low altitude during hours of darkness and close to the state border between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

“Helicopters of the Russian air force had not been previously sighted in the area,” the statement added.

The ministry offered its condolences to the families of those killed and said it was ready to compensate.

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