Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

[burjuin]

Re: Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

Armenian troops on exercises CSTO "Inviolable Brotherhood" in Kyrgyzstan. 07.29-08.01 2014

[Joseph]

Re: Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

Another Azeri dead and another wounded:

http://www.aysor.am/en/news/2014/08/06/nkr-mil/

06 August 2014 10:57 ]
Baku. Hafiz Heydarov - APA. The Azerbaijani Army has lost one more soldier.

APA reports that the incident was recorded on the frontline. Soldier Terlanli Sahil Yashar died from a gunshot wound. The circumstance under which he received a gunshot wound is still unknown.

The Defense Ministry confirmed the fact to APA.

The Military Prosecutor's Office has launched a criminal case on the fact, investigation is underway.




Azerbaijani soldier wounded in cease-fire violation by Armenian armed forces


A twenty-year-old Azerbaijani soldier, Farhad Rahimov was wounded as a result of a cease-fire violation by the Armenian Armed Forces, the Azerbaijani defense ministry told Trend on Aug. 6.
Rahimov was slightly wounded. First aid was rendered to the soldier. The doctors assessed his condition as normal.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the U.S. are currently holding peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.
Follow us on Twitter @TRENDNewsAgency

[londontsi]

Re: Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

http://en.apa.az/xeber_azerbaijani_servicemen_kill_armenian_sol_214812.html

43-year-old Aram Grigoryan was killed on August 4 in the direction of Murovdagh

... The Armenian soldier killed by Azerbaijani servicemen on August 4 in Murovdagh within the territory of Kalbajar
had previously fought in the battalion of Armenian terrorist Monte Melkonyan, one of the ASALA leaders .....

I hate to fall victim of Azeri misinformation so can anybody comment on this please.

[burjuin]

Re: Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

“The government will do everything possible to assist border communities,” the Prime Minister said in Tavush Marz

Accompanied Minister of Defense Seyran Ohanyan and Tavush Marz Goverrnor Hovik Abovyan, Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan visited today Chinar, Aigedzor and Artsvaberd border communities in Tavush Marz.

The Prime Minister first called at a stronghold at the Armenian-Azerbaijani State border stationed in Chinar. The Premier met with the commanders and soldiers conducting frontline service, and asked about their psychological combat readiness, then walked in the military base, was introduced to the service and living conditions.

Armenia's Prime Minister expressed his gratitude to all the military for their loyalty and courage to serve the motherland and keeping the State border impregnable. Hovik Abrahamyan met with community leaders, farmers and officers in Chinar, Aigedzor and Artsvaberd communities.

The Prime Minister spoke to local residents and got familiar with their problems, answered questions of primary concern for the villagers which mainly related to the tense situation caused by the recent border incidents.

In this connection Armenia’s Prime Minister and the Defense Minister assured that the armed forces of the Republic of Armenia and the NKR Defense Army confidently control the situation along the border, protecting the motherland’s borders and ensuring the security of the population.

The Prime Minister spoke about those social issues raised by the residents, which bore on the provision of tax concessions to local businessmen, road construction; student tuitions, the compensation of electricity, gas and other fees, etc.

The Prime Minister advised that the Cabinet was discussing the possibility of according tax benefits to businessmen in border communities, providing new jobs and boosting economic life.

The head of government promised to the residents of Artsvaberd to make a priority of the construction of the kindergarten, assigning the Governor of Tavush Marz to prepare and submit to the Government all the necessary design and estimate documents.

Hovik Abrahamyan told the Mayor of Chinar to submit the list of local students so that the Government could reimburse their tuition.

The Prime Minister also visited Vital Cannery in Tavush Marz to get acquainted with production opportunities and projects.

http://www.gov.am/en/news/item/7456/

[Joseph]

Re: Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

http://en.apa.az/xeber_azerbaijani_s...ol_214812.html



I hate to fall victim of Azeri misinformation so can anybody comment on this please.

Apparently so: http://www.panorama.am/en/politics/2...-army-soldier/

[Haykakan]

Re: Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

NEW ACT OF DIVERSION; THE ADVERSARY RETREATED SUFFERING A LOSS

11:17 06.08.2014

On August 5, around 23:00 am, the enemy Special Forces of
Azerbaijan made an attempt of sabotage action at the South-East of
the contact-line of Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijani Armed Forces in
the direction of Martuni /Yusufjanlu/, NKR Defense Ministry informed.

As a result of the counteractions of NKR Defense Army the adversary
retreated suffering a loss and wounded.

Apart from the aforesaid act of diversion, the Azerbaijani side
violated ceasefire regime about 370 times at the line of contact
between the armed forces of Azerbaijan and Karabakh between August 5
and 6, during which the rival fired more than 7,000 shots from weapons
of different caliber in the direction of the Armenian positions.

The front troops of the NKR Defense Army remained committed to the
maintenance of the ceasefire regime and confidently continued with
their military duty all along the line of contact.

http://www.armradio.am/en/2014/08/06/new-act-of-diversion-the-adversary-retreated/

[Haykakan]

Re: Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

RUSSIA'S REVENGE IN KARABAKH

Today's Zaman, Turkey
Aug 5 2014

A recent flare-up of border skirmishes -- the deadliest so far
-- between Azerbaijan and Armenia have killed more than a dozen
Azerbaijani soldiers and unknown number on the Armenian side,
raising the specter of a full-fledged war in a cold war that has been
relatively dormant for nearly a decade.

An Azerbaijani general said on Sunday during the funeral ceremony
of one of the fallen Azerbaijani soldiers that at least 71 Armenian
troops were killed in recent clashes. The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry
spokesman also claimed that the "enemy side has sustained many losses"
but that they don't share the reports with their public. The number
of deaths on the Azerbaijani side has sent chills across the country,
with many questioning if the time has come to launch an offensive
against Armenian forces currently stationed in occupied Azerbaijani
territories.

Never mind all the pompous talk about "liberating lost territories,"
this would never be an easy task, particularly when considering
that the Armenian forces are much better positioned, with a ground
elevation of more than a mile over Azerbaijani forces on average
across the line of contact -- definitely a strategic advantage.

During the chaotic demise of the Soviet Union, the Armenian army
occupied at least 20 percent of western Azerbaijani territories,
displacing nearly a million Azerbaijani people and killing more than
30,000, most of them civilians. The most tragic chapter of the bloody
conflict came in the town of Khojaly, when Armenian forces massacred
more than 600 men, women and children overnight in an apparent attempt
to ethnically cleanse the area to establish their own state.

The Nagorno-Karabakh, an enclave mostly populated by nearly 100,000
Armenians and 45,000 Azerbaijanis, was entirely overrun and occupied
by Armenian forces. In addition to that territory, the Armenian
army also occupied seven adjacent regions, but these provinces were
largely populated by Azerbaijanis. Currently few Armenians live in
those highly militarized areas -- a territory Armenia labels as a
"buffer zone." The Armenian occupation of seven adjacent provinces
are also subject to four consecutive UN Security Council resolutions,
demanding that Armenia withdraw from those territories.

In similar remarks, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry also demanded on
Sunday that Armenia immediately withdraw from occupied territories
and avoid actions that would destroy ongoing peace talks. Similar
flare-ups of clashes are not rare during the peace talks, which
have yielded almost no results, but the extent of last week's border
skirmishes signals that a different scenario is at play.

Russia's role

Azerbaijan has said Armenia violated the cease-fire, in place for
two decades, 700 times in the past week. The increased number of
cease-fire violations came at a week when the European Union joined
the United States to impose the harshest round of sanctions on Russian
individuals and the state over the Kremlin's "destabilizing actions"
in eastern Ukraine. Frustrated, Russian authorities said the upside of
the sanctions is that it will teach Russia how to be self-reliant. But
it seems Moscow is also determined to "punish" the Western allies in
many ways they can and one area is the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Due to a very strong Armenian lobby in Washington the US administration
has always viewed Armenia as a liability. Baku had a difficult task in
Washington, trying to explain to the US administration that Armenia,
having recognized Ukraine's Crimea as part of Russia, is no friend of
the West. Given that current Secretary of State John Kerry is the one
who sponsored a bill that effectively banned a direct aid to Azerbaijan
as part of its assistance to post-Soviet nations in 1992, it is not
difficult to understand Azerbaijan's challenges in Washington.

For Russia, pushing Armenia to destabilize the region and attack
Azerbaijan is part of Putin's campaign to exact a heavy price for
Western allies for their support of Ukraine's territorial integrity.

When will it end?

Setting aside the latest clashes, the situation on the border is
untenable. Azerbaijani civilians are living under constant fear of
getting killed and Armenian snipers are playing a shooting game by
targeting children. When peace talks failed to produce a tangible
solution to the frozen conflict, during a two-decade lull Azerbaijan
has become relatively stronger.

I made it clear in one of my previous posts that diplomacy and war
are not alternatives to each other but complementary processes. It is
possible to conclude a confrontation through diplomacy, but realities
on the ground must be amenable to a successful peace pact. Throughout
all these years, Azerbaijan heavily invested in the military. More than
$3 billion in annual military spending means Azerbaijan's military
investments surpassed Armenia's entire state budget. The balance of
power in the region has significantly tilted toward the Azerbaijani
side, making its hand stronger in peace talks and pushing Armenia to
conclude a peace agreement without an armed conflict. Seems a smart
plan, but is waging a full-scale war is less costly than a perennial
arms race?

How to win the Karabakh war?

Azerbaijan could have opted to fight Armenia in previous years and it
is highly likely that Baku would win. But as I mentioned, it is very
difficult to wage a war against Armenian forces in the Nagorno-Karabakh
without paying a heavy death toll due to the strategic positions of
Armenian troops in the area. Azerbaijan needs to have a very powerful
air force to conduct an effective air campaign against targets in
the occupied territories. Considering that Armenia's Russian-made
anti-aircraft missile system is located at high altitude, it is very
difficult to bomb army bases in the occupied territories.

A ground offensive is possible after a heavy air bombardment and can
occur mostly through Beyleqan and Fuzuli provinces after amassing huge
number of troops in and around the Yeni Mil valley. Azerbaijan may
hesitate to bomb army bases in Armenia because of Russia's military
pact with Armenia -- similar to NATO's 5th article commitment -- but
it could always conduct sorties around Kelbajar to hit supply lines.

Azerbaijan has relatively advantageous army positions in DaĆ~_kesen,
Tovuz and Gedebey provinces and could wage a significant offensive
through that territory.

Turkey could help by amassing an enormous number of troops on its
border with Armenia. This will keep significant number of Armenian
troops busy on the Turkish border while its ally Azerbaijan would
face fewer troops in Armenia's eastern front. If Azerbaijan faces a
challenge in bombing mainland Armenia, it could also amass troops in
Nakhchivan to keep another batch of Armenian troops busy there.

The war must be quick and sweeping: a long war of attrition may not
harm Armenia in the long run, but Azerbaijan, as an emerging market
and a promising arena for investors, could be less attractive and
vulnerable to economic shocks. Even if the war doesn't succeed in its
stated goal, it will definitely push Armenia to be more constructive
and serious in peace talks. Due to the worsening economic situation
inside Armenia, coupled with a Turkish-imposed yet loosely implemented
economic embargo, Armenians leave the country en masse in the hope
of finding better life in Russia and the West. Increasing reports
indicate that Armenian authorities mostly refuse to issue passports
to its citizens to prevent them from leaving the country.

Peace is always preferable to war, of course. But to achieve peace,
sometimes you need to fight.

http://www.todayszaman.com/blog/mahir-zeynalov/russias-revenge-in-karabakh_354646.html

[arakeretzig]

Re: Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

NEW ACT OF DIVERSION; THE ADVERSARY RETREATED SUFFERING A LOSS

11:17 06.08.2014

On August 5, around 23:00 am, the enemy Special Forces of
Azerbaijan made an attempt of sabotage action at the South-East of
the contact-line of Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijani Armed Forces in
the direction of Martuni /Yusufjanlu/, NKR Defense Ministry informed.

As a result of the counteractions of NKR Defense Army the adversary
retreated suffering a loss and wounded.

Apart from the aforesaid act of diversion, the Azerbaijani side
violated ceasefire regime about 370 times at the line of contact
between the armed forces of Azerbaijan and Karabakh between August 5
and 6, during which the rival fired more than 7,000 shots from weapons
of different caliber in the direction of the Armenian positions.

The front troops of the NKR Defense Army remained committed to the
maintenance of the ceasefire regime and confidently continued with
their military duty all along the line of contact.

http://www.armradio.am/en/2014/08/06...ary-retreated/

They must have hundreds of these special forces, otherwise, how can they do this year after year, day after day, with so many loses? I'd guess they have at least 1000 trained SF. How can they train so many of them? A real good SF has a 3 year training programme, for example US SF. Maybe they're just not that hardcore, and get a 6-12 month training...

[arakeretzig]

Re: Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

Peace is always preferable to war, of course. But to achieve peace,
sometimes you need to fight.

http://www.todayszaman.com/blog/mahi...kh_354646.html

One of the reasons why we should grow our borders eastwards. Punishing both Turkey and their alllies, and Azeris for starting a new war. It will make them think a thousand times before starting one again.

[Federate]

Re: Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

They must have hundreds of these special forces, otherwise, how can they do this year after year, day after day, with so many loses? I'd guess they have at least 1000 trained SF. How can they train so many of them? A real good SF has a 3 year training programme, for example US SF. Maybe they're just not that hardcore, and get a 6-12 month training...

I think they get trained in Turkey.