Artsakh soldier, Arayik Shakhpazyan, was injured on Sunday as a result of Azerbaijani gunfire. The Artsakh foreign ministry said that the country was prepared to protect and defend Artsakh, and blamed Baku for international call to observe ceasefires during the global coronavirus pandemic crisis.

An active-duty serviceman of the Artsakh military was shot and wounded by Azerbaijani gunfire on April 5, the Defense Ministry of Artsakh said in a news release.
At around 5:30 p.m. local time, Azerbaijani soldiers opened fire at military positions on the eastern front. On duty officer, Shakhpazyan, 20, was shot and injured, according to the Artsakh Defense Ministry.

The soldier was taken to a military hospital, where after medical evaluation, his condition was deemed satisfactory.

The wounded soldier was taken to a military hospital where doctors assessed his condition to be satisfactory. The authorities of Artsakh said they are investigating the circumstances of the incident.

“The Artsakh Ministry of Defense is urging the adversary to refrain from taking provocative actions and is announcing that the Azerbaijani side will bear full responsibility of consequences in case of further escalation of the situation,” said a statement by the Artsakh Defense Ministry.

While vowing to take all necessary steps to defend Artsakh, all in accordance with international law, the Artsakh Foreign Ministry on Monday, adding that Baku’s continued attacks were disregarding international calls for a worldwide ceasefire during the global coronavirus pandemic crisis.

Such a call was made last month by United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres days after the Personal Representative for the OSCE Chairman in Office suspended all scheduled Artsakh-Azerbaijan border monitoring in light if the COVID-19 crisis.

“Azerbaijan, once again, grossly violated the ceasefire regime on the Line of Contact between the armed forces of Artsakh and Azerbaijan, as a result of which a serviceman of the Defense Army of the Republic of Artsakh was wounded,” said the Artsakh Foreign Ministry statement.

“It is worrisome that this incident occurred amid the temporary suspension of monitoring of the ceasefire by the office of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office and in a situation when the whole world is struggling with a new type of coronavirus pandemic (COVID19),” added official Stepanakert.

“Such provocations are an open disregard on the part of the Azerbaijani authorities of the call of the UN Secretary General Anthony Guterres for a ceasefire around the world to direct the efforts of all mankind to overcome the global challenge – the coronavirus, as well as ignoring the appeal of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs to the parties to the conflict to strictly observe the ceasefire and refrain from any provocative actions that may increase the level of tension in a given period,” explained the statement.

“The non-constructive behavior of Baku has become another manifestation of the irresponsible and aggressive policies of the Azerbaijani authorities and deserves the most rigorous assessment and condemnation from the international community,” added the statement.

“Reaffirming its obligations to comply with the agreements on maintaining and strengthening the ceasefire, as well as the Secretary-General’s appeal for global armistice, the Republic of Artsakh urges Azerbaijan to fulfill its obligations and abandon provocative actions.
At the same time, the Republic of Artsakh is ready to take all necessary measures of self-defense in accordance with international law and, in particular, the provisions of the UN Charter,” concluded the statement.

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