Catholicoi Visit NKR Military Hospital, Hold Mass in Shushi
STEPANAKERT, NKR (A.W.)—Armenian serviceman Manvel Grigoryan was killed by Azerbaijani fire on the eastern direction (Martuni) of the Line of Contact (LoC) at around 11:20 p.m. on April 14, according to a press statement released by the Nagorno-Karabagh Republic (NKR/Artsakh) Ministry of Defense.
According to the statement, Azerbaijani Armed Forces violated the ceasefire agreement several times, firing 82- and 60-mm mortars and AGS-17 grenade launchers on Armenian positions in the northern (Gyulistan), northeastern (Talish-Martakert), eastern (Martuni), and southern (Hadrut) directions of the LoC on the night of April 14-15. The NKR Defense Ministry said that NKR forces performed combat tasks in line with these developments and continue to control the situation on the LoC.
Another Armenian serviceman, Hamlet Hajoyan (b. 1970), was killed by Azerbaijani fire on the northeastern direction (Talish) of the LoC earlier on April 14, according to an NKR Ministry of Defense press statement. The ministry did not release additional details, as the incident is currently under investigation.
A day earlier, Azerbaijani Armed Forces violated the ceasefire agreement several times, firing various caliber weapons on Armenian positions in the northeastern (Martakert) and southeastern (Nadrut) directions of the LoC on the night of April 13-14. Azerbaijani Special Forces also attempted a subversive attack in the southern direction of the LoC at around 4:55 a.m., which was thwarted by the NKR forces.
On April 14, Azerbaijan announced that an Azerbaijani Armed Forces serviceman had been killed, reported Reuters. A day earlier, On April 13, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev visited Istanbul, Turkey, where he met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, according to Erdogan’s press office.
Catholicoi Visit NKR Military Hospital, Hold Mass in Shushi
His Holiness Karekin II, the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, and His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Holy See of Cilicia, visited the Central Military Hospital in Stepanakert on April 13. The Catholicoi were accompanied by Ashot Ghoulyan, speaker of the NKR National Assembly.
During their visit, hospital director Zori Saghyan provided updates on the condition of the wounded NKR servicemen injured in the large-scale military aggression carried out by Azerbaijan. The Catholicoi visited the recovering servicemen and offered their blessings. The pontiffs then visited the capital of Stepanakert with NKR President Bako Sahakyan. A day later, on April 14, the Catholicoi held a Mass at Sourp Ghazanchetsots Church in Shushi.
Sahakyan’s official meeting with the pontiffs took place on April 13 in Stepanakert. The meeting focused on the situation on the NKR LoC and the large-scale military aggression carried out by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces on April 2-5, according to a press statement released by the president’s office. During the meeting, Sahakyan noted that the entire Armenian nation demonstrated exemplary unity, cohesion, patriotism, and dedication, and stressed the important role of the Armenian Apostolic Church in the process.
Below is a short interview with the Catholicoi on NKR TV:
Serviceman Wounded by Azerbaijani Fire
Another NKR Defense Army serviceman was wounded as a result of violations on the NKR LoC by Azerbaijani forces on the night of April 12-13. According to a press statement released by the NKR Ministry of Defense, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces violated the ceasefire by firing various caliber small arms, including sniper rifle and mortar fire.
“The advanced detachments of the NKR Defense Army are attentively following the developments and undertaking respective measures when necessary,” read a part of the statement. No further details about the wounded serviceman were released by the ministry.
The statement noted that Azerbaijani forces had violated the ceasefire a total of 106 times; NKR forces retaliated 23 times in order to stabilize the situation.
A day earlier, on the night of April 11-12, Azerbaijani Armed Forces fired shots from various caliber weapons, including three 82-mm shells, four 60-mm mortars, and 17 grenades, in the northeastern (Martakert) and southeastern (Hadrut) directions of the LoC. Azerbaijani forces also used unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) for intelligence missions in the eastern and southern directions, according to a press statement released by the NKR Ministry of Defense on April 12.
The ministry also released an updated list of the 56 deceased NKR servicemen who were killed as a result of the large-scale military aggression carried out by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces on April 2-5. Several NKR Defense Army servicemen who were injured on April 2-5 are currently receiving medical treatment at the Central Military Hospital in Stepanakert; others have been transported to hospitals in Armenia.
According to a press statement released by Armenia’s Defense Ministry, a total of 96 people (including civilians) were killed between April 2 and 13 as a result of Azerbaijan’s military aggression.
This is a war of attrition which Armenia cannot afford to sustain. I presume that the leaders of Armenia are under orders from Russia not to attack. What we as a people need is the will to act and to properly demand conditions. The NK region should be recognised by Armenia. We are going to be demonised anyway. The international community will always call us an occupier and take the other’s side. So we might as well retaliate in kind.
So where are the Russians, Armenia’s security pact partner?
Armenian serviceman was killed by Azerbaijani fire on the eastern direction (Martuni) of the Line of Contact (LoC) in Artsakh. Russians have defense agreements with the Republic of Armenia.
John,
Yes, Russia has a treaty obligation to come to Armenia’s defense only IF Armenia is in serious trouble and Yerevan officially asks for military assistance. Moscow will not respond to cross-border skirmishes that take place periodically between Armenia and Azerbaijan. That said, please realize that Moscow covers Armenia’s western border with Turkey, giving Yerevan the freedom to concentrate all its resources on a more manageable threat on Armenia’s eastern border with Azerbaijan.
seems to me, that Axeri dictator wants to get closer to Stepanakert as much as possible, if Artsakhi army do not respond a crushing respond ASAP!
I suggest that couples preparing to marry identify to guests the opportunity to donate to the heroes and their families. One of many such funds is created by The Paros Foundation of Berkeley.
It will make the donors feel better than buying the couple a gravy boat.
I am sure our political and military leaders know what is going on and how to deal with it. They must be under great pressure in resisting an all out retaliatory attack for good reasons. But the loss of Armenian lives is very concerning and should be avoided any way possible while maintaining secure borders. Ours should be a tactical approach, adapting to the situation as necessary. Our soldiers on the LoC should be given any body armour and protection that is possible, regardless of cost. This should be our priority at the moment. Every time the Azeris break the peace they should receive severe punishment to discourage such further actions. Also we need to double our efforts in detecting UAVs and destroying them. That’s the only way the Azeris will learn to leave us in peace.
why r u talking like that….you armenians occupied our land Nk region and now u call us as a invader?!you say lie yourselves….world is beside us couse they know reality….ok we want peace with giving back the part of our country otherwise we are always ready for war….