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Heavy fighting erupts over separatist Nagorno-Karabakh (Armenia Vs Azerbaijan)

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) - Heavy fighting has broken out between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces along the front lines of the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh region, reportedly killing at least one child in what one official called the worst clashes since 1994.

Officials from each former Soviet republic blamed the other Saturday for the fighting that began overnight. Both Armenia and Azerbaijan said they had inflicted heavy losses on the other.

David Babayan, a spokesman for Nagorno-Karabakh’s separatist president, said a boy of about 12 was killed and two other children wounded in a Grad missile barrage by Azerbaijani forces. He characterized the fighting as the worst since 1994, when a war over the territory ended.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, meanwhile, urged all sides to cease firing and “show restraint,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies.
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Heavy fighting erupts over separatist Nagorno-Karabakh
 
I can't wait for everyone on the news/Question Time/Facebook to be an expert on the most backwater of former Soviet backwaters
 
Not again.......All KGB operatives, clean-up on aisle five, still, gives me a bit of breathing space in the Ukraine.....
 
Once again my cynical head says, how convenient? The proxy nature of these two adversaries does mirror the antagonism of Turkey through Russia's scratching at the Kurdish scab in Syria. Whilst Russia has turned off some of its kinetic influence in the Syrian conflict or at least set it on a lower gas, Putin is not yet finished with sticking pins in his Erdogan dolly.

Interestingly the Russian debate is currently showing on BBC Parliament, recorded from the 1 Mar Defence Select Committee. There is convenience in this conflict being reignited for Putin, especially through sympathy votes on the domestic front and generally less costly than p*ssing away more Roubles in Syria.

Cynical head mentioned, hmmmm...! Close to the 101 anniversary of commencement of Armenian genocide -
8 facts about the Armenian genocide 100 years ago - CNN.com

Putin peacemaker moment or just another opportunity to turn the screw a bit on Erdogan?
 
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Putin peacemaker moment or just another opportunity to turn the screw a bit on Erdogan?


IIRC originally it was all about Putin trashing the region (inc Georgia) in order to discourage the construction of new Caspian oil and gas pipelines to Turkey/the west that would bypass Russia. He was also noticeably hacked off that Azerbaijan was becoming very matey with the western countries that were developing its oilfields.

Since then, Azerbaijan has spent quite a bit of oil cash on upgrading its armed forces with a view to recovering the territory occupied by Armenia (these are all districts that are not part of the N-K enclave, and which are indisputably Azerbaijan rump territory). Oddly enough, less well-off Armenia seems to have a an anonymous rich uncle who has given them lots of shiny new kit .... Russian kit, as it happens.

I think its probably Putin just stirring the pot. Lets see if Georgia also accidentally loses a bit more territory in the next few weeks...
 
Once again my cynical head says, how convenient? The proxy nature of these two adversaries does mirror the antagonism of Turkey through Russia's scratching at the Kurdish scab in Syria. Whilst Russia has turned off some of its kinetic influence in the Syrian conflict or at least set it on a lower gas, Putin is not yet finished with sticking pins in his Erdogan dolly.

Interestingly the Russian debate is curently showing on BBC Parliament, recorded from the 1 Mar Defence Select Committee. There is convenience in this conflict being reignited for Putin, especially through sympathy votes on the domestic front and generally less costly than p*ssing away more Roubles in Syria.

Cynical head mentioned, hmmmm...! Close to the 101 anniversary of commencement of Armenian genocide -
8 facts about the Armenian genocide 100 years ago - CNN.com

Putin peacemaker moment or just another opportunity to turn the screw a bit on Erdogan?

The notion that the Kremlin is somehow behind this is certainly an attractive one. If Putin is pulling the strings in the background it would certainly be a good way to further distract the Turks by proxy without necessarily drawing the ire of the rest of the international community.
 
There are reports going around there is/was a sizable tank on tank battle today....the Armenians are claiming they have killed 200 Azerbaijani mil personnel.
 
Nothing happens by chance in this part of the world. Russia has been quietly rearming Armenia and basing S300 batteries near the Turkish border, whilst Turkey desperately tries to maintain its influence in Azerbaijan (and trains the high fliers in Turkish military academies). Turkey just doesn't need another problem; I'd imagine Putin must be loving this...
 
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