On July 14, Azerbaijani aggression continued along the northeastern border of Armenia, in the Tavush region. As a result, the Armenian side has suffered losses, but has also inflicted tremendous damage on the enemy. It is with great sorrow that we report on the death of four of our soldiers. These men made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of the homeland, for which we owe them eternal gratitude.
Honoring Our Fallen Heroes
Artillery and Drones
Azerbaijani drones also launched an attack on the town of Berd in Tavush province, targeting civilian infrastructure such as the Tavush Textile factory. No civilians were injured. Armenian Armed Forces responded with punitive actions, destroying the positions from which Azerbaijan was shelling Armenian towns.
Razm.info reports that Azerbaijan has placed artillery near the village of Dondar Quşçu in the Tovuz region, about 10km from the front line. By surrounding the village with artillery batteries, they have made their own population into targets, and are complaining that the Armenian Armed Forces are firing in that direction. The use of its civilian population as a human shield is yet another blatant violation of international conventions by the Azerbaijani side.
In three days of fighting, the Azerbaijani side has confirmed twelve deaths, eleven of which are military personnel and one is a civilian. Of the military personnel killed, two are high-ranking officers: third corps chief of staff Major General Polad Hashimov and third corps artillery chief Ilqar Mirzeyev.
Former spokesman for the Republic of Armenia Ministry of Defense Artsrun Hovhannisyan reported during a briefing on July 14 that Armenia has shot down approximately ten unmanned aerial vehicles. The most significant of these is the Elbit Hermes 900, an Israeli-made drone worth around 30 million dollars. This may be the first time this particular model has been shot down anywhere in the world.
Late on July 14, videos started surfacing of mass protests in Baku calling for war against Armenia and the resignation of Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov and Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces Sadigov. The unrest highlights the precarious domestic political situation in Azerbaijan. With the socioeconomic fallout from the pandemic, the drop in oil revenue, and a failure to secure tangible results in the offensive against Armenia, we may see the Aliyev clan making some personnel changes to appease protesters.