Russia calls for restraint, dialogue between Armenia, Azerbaijan

On April 9, Russia called on Armenia and Azerbaijan to exercise restraint and take steps to de-escalate tensions along their shared border.

Speaking at a press briefing, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Moscow was closely monitoring the situation in the Armenian-Azerbaijani border area, Caliber.Az reports per Russian media.

“We reaffirm our call on Baku and Yerevan to show restraint, to take measures aimed at de-escalation, and to avoid any actions that could lead to a further deterioration of the situation,” Zakharova said.

To recall, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defence reported a fresh ceasefire violation by Armenian armed forces on April 7. According to the ministry, Azerbaijani Army positions came under small arms fire from multiple directions, including Gorus, Garakilsa, Basarkechar, Keshishkand, Tovuzgala, and Chambarak.

In response, Azerbaijani forces took appropriate retaliatory measures to protect their positions. The Defence Ministry underscored that such incidents heighten tensions along the conditional border.

Thus, Armenian military units have repeatedly targeted Azerbaijani Army positions, with documented attacks in areas such as the Istisu settlement in the Keshishkand region and the Bazarchay settlement in the Garakilsa region, suggesting a deliberate escalation by Yerevan despite the ceasefire agreement.

By Aghakazim Guliyev