Vulgar and manipulative propaganda: How Moscow tries to cover up its criminal inaction during Baku’s aggression in Nagorno-Karabakh

On September 19, the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan issued a statement on launching a “local anti-terrorist operation” in Nagorno-Karabakh, “in order to ensure the safety of Azerbaijani servicemen and restore the constitutional order of Azerbaijan”. The Azerbaijani side also announced that it had informed the Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh and the Russian-Turkish monitoring center operating in Aghdam about the operations in advance.

Later, the Defense Army of Nagorno-Karabakh confirmed that on the same day the Azerbaijani armed forces launched a large-scale military attack along the contact line.

The mass media and the Internet are flooded with videos documenting the targeting of civilians and infrastructure. As of 7:00 p.m., Information Headquarters of Nagorno-Karabakh had already informed about casualties among the civilian population, including children.

Russian peacekeepers, contrary to their obligations under the statement of November 9, 2020, did not take any action to protect the civilian population in Nagorno-Karabakh from Azerbaijani aggression. Moreover, using vulgar and threat-based propaganda, the Russian side engaged in covering up the improper fulfilment of its obligations and criminal inaction.

Union of Informed Citizens brought together the statements of Russian propaganda circles regarding the latest Azerbaijani aggression in Nagorno-Karabakh.

“In advance” or “a few minutes earlier“? When did Moscow learn about Baku’s plans?  

On her Telegram channel, the representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, denied that the Russian side had been informed in advance about the Azerbaijani aggression.

It is noteworthy that the official Baku is the source of the information denied by Zakharova and not the mass media. Although the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan clearly stated that Russian peacekeepers were informed about the operations, Zakharova denied the information in the media without referring to official Baku.

It is also noteworthy that Zakharova nevertheless confirmed that they were informed about the operation in advance, only “a few minutes before” its start. During her briefing, Zakharova also confirmed that Baku is in contact with Moscow and “provides information about the operation.“

Later, the Spokesperson for the Russian President, Dmitry Peskov, also referred to the statement of the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan, noting that “he cannot confirm that the Russian side was informed in advance.”

Russian Foreign Ministry “urges the sides”

During the briefing on September 19, Maria Zakharova used the language of the official Baku when referring to the aggression against Nagorno-Karabakh.

In particular, she noted that “there is information about the start of anti-terrorist operations by the Azerbaijani armed forces in the region and, as Baku declares, retaliatory actions of the local Armenian armed forces.”

At the same time, the representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry “calls on the conflicting parties to stop the bloodshed“.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia responded that “The Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia are not involved in military operations.”

It is noteworthy that the forces described by Baku and Zakharova as “local Armenian armed formations” are units of the Defense Army of Nagorno-Karabakh.

The Prague Statement and NATO – an excuse for inaction

Zakharova, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, made another problematic post on her Telegram channel regarding the Azerbaijani aggression in Nagorno-Karabakh. In particular, she explained the inaction of Russian peacekeepers with the statement adopted in Prague in October 2022, in which Armenia and Azerbaijan “confirmed their commitment to the UN Charter and the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration, based on which both sides mutually recognize each other’s territorial integrity and sovereignty”.

In response to Yerevan’s call to Russia and the UN Security Council to take measures, Zakharova wrote: “And what to do with official Yerevan recognizing Nagorno-Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan?”

It should be reminded that this propaganda has been actively circulated by official Moscow many times in the past as an excuse for not fulfilling its obligation to lift the blockade of the Lachin Corridor and ensure safe and free movement.

It is noteworthy that the Prague statement does not exempt Russia from the obligations assumed by the November 9 statement. After the second Nagorno-Karabakh war, none of the parties canceled the document or signed an agreement that would set out a new status quo.

Moreover, Russian peacekeepers did not properly fulfill their obligations even before the Prague Statement. Union of Informed Citizens NGO previously referred to dozens of incidents known to the public, which are a direct consequence of peacekeepers’ inaction and failure to fulfill their obligations.

Spokesperson for the Russian President Peskov also insisted that the Russian peacekeepers are performing their duties. It is noteworthy that the functions of peacekeepers are described not only in the statement of November 9, but also in the decree of Russian President Putin of November 10, 2020, which was later adopted by the Russian State Duma.

In particular, it states that peacekeepers are stationed in the conflict zone of Nagorno-Karabakh “in order to ensure peace and maintain the ceasefire regime“.

In fact, the claims of the Kremlin about peacekeepers performing their functions do not correspond to reality.

Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of the Kremlin’s propaganda media outlet “Russia Today”, hinted in a mocking tone that Armenia should turn to NATO for help.

Earlier, among other developments, Armenian-American joint military exercises became a reason for tension in Armenian-Russian relations. Moscow has repeatedly complained about the EU observation mission stationed on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border following the September 2022 aggression.

However, it should be emphasized that cooperation with Western military and political organizations and countries does not free Russia from its obligations in Nagorno-Karabakh.

“The safety of Russian peacekeepers is a priority”

The Spokesperson for the Russian President, Dmitri Peskov asserted that the peacekeepers are performing their functions, emphasizing that the safety of their soldiers is a priority for the Russian side.

“…So far we do not have any information that something that would threaten the lives of our peacekeepers has happened. Of course, their safety is an important priority for us,” said Peskov.

Andrey Kartapolov, the chairman of the Defense Committee of the State Duma, also insisted that “as long as the peacekeepers are not threatened, they have no right to use weapons.”

Thus, Russian official and unofficial circles try to find an excuse for the inaction of Russian peacekeepers through manipulation, legitimizing Azerbaijan’s aggression and other illegal actions against the people of Nagorno Karabakh, and at the same time putting the blame on Yerevan.

Nane Manasyan

Union of Informed Citizens