This apology is related to an incident of mistaken identity resulting in the accidental shooting of five Russian soldiers.
President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, has issued an apology to Russian President Vladimir Putin following the tragic death of five Russian soldiers who were part of the peacekeeping forces in Nagorno-Karabakh. The five soldiers were mistakenly shot by Azerbaijani military personnel who believed them to be members of Armenian ethnic forces.
“President Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has offered his apologies and expressed deep condolences for the tragic loss of Russian peacekeeping troops in Karabakh during a phone call with Vladimir Putin. He emphasized that a thorough investigation into the incident will be conducted,” reported the Russian news agency TASS on Friday, September 22, 2023.
Previously, the Prosecutor General of Azerbaijan revealed that the shooting incident resulting in the deaths of five Russian soldiers occurred on Wednesday, September 20, 2023. “On September 20, a group of Azerbaijani soldiers participating in counter-terrorism activities in the rural area of the village of Canyatak in the Terter region mistakenly identified a vehicle carrying Russian Peacekeeping personnel as a vehicle belonging to illegal Armenian forces and opened fire due to difficult terrain, rain, and fog. As a result of this incident, five Russian Peacekeeping personnel lost their lives,” they said, as quoted by Anadolu Agency on Thursday, September 21, 2023.
According to the Azerbaijani Prosecutor General, on the same day and in the same village, Armenian ethnic forces also fired upon a truck belonging to Russian Peacekeeping personnel. They reported that one Russian soldier was killed, and another was injured in the shooting.
The Prosecutor General of Azerbaijan has stated that they have launched an investigation into the two shooting incidents that resulted in the deaths of six Russian soldiers in Nagorno-Karabakh. Russian authorities are also involved in the investigative process.
On Tuesday, September 19, 2023, Azerbaijan launched a military operation in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, describing it as an “anti-terrorist” operation. The objective of the operation is to target Armenian ethnic forces controlling the area. At least 25 people have been reported killed in Azerbaijan’s military operation.
Previously, separatist groups supported by Armenia had called on Azerbaijan to initiate negotiations and cease hostilities. “The (Karabakh) side calls on Azerbaijan to immediately declare a ceasefire and sit down at the negotiating table to resolve this situation,” said the foreign ministry of the separatist region.
The Azerbaijani government stated its readiness to meet with Armenian ethnic forces controlling the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. However, Azerbaijan requested that they first surrender their weapons.
“To stop anti-terrorist actions, illegal Armenian armed forces must raise white flags, surrender all weapons, and the illegal regime must disband,” stated the Azerbaijan Presidential Office in a statement last Tuesday.
In the statement, it was explained that Azerbaijan is willing to meet with representatives of Armenian ethnic forces in Yevlakh, a city in Azerbaijan located approximately 100 kilometers from the Armenian ethnic forces’ base in Stepanakert. However, it was reiterated that the meeting could only take place if Armenian ethnic forces surrender.
“If not, anti-terrorist actions will continue until the end,” stated the Azerbaijan Presidential Office.
Armenia and Azerbaijan have been involved in conflicts since the 1990s, primarily centered around Nagorno-Karabakh, a region located within Azerbaijan but under the control of Armenian ethnic forces. In 2020, both countries engaged in intense fighting in the region, which lasted for six weeks and resulted in over 6,500 casualties. Russia played a crucial role in brokering a ceasefire agreement, which saw the deployment of 2,000 Russian peacekeeping troops to the region. Azerbaijan gained significant territorial advantages as part of the ceasefire agreement, with Armenia agreeing to cede several parts of Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijan.
