By Vugar Khalilov

Despite the current rise of tension, work on a peace treaty between Yerevan and Baku has not ceased, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said during a weekly briefing, Azernews reports.

'This is the main priority. The Russian side is providing the necessary assistance,' Zakharova said.

She added that Igor Khovayev, Russian Foreign Minister's Special Representative, visited Baku on September 8-9 and Yerevan on September 13-14 to discuss the draft peace deal.

To recap, units of the Armenian armed forces carried out large-scale provocations along the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border in the Dashkasan, Kalbajar, and Lachin directions on September 12, 2022, starting late at night. The Armenian sabotage groups mined land and supply roads linking the positions of the Azerbaijani army units in different directions, taking advantage of the area's steep topography and existing ravine gaps.

The clashes between the sides ensued as a result of the urgent efforts made by the Azerbaijani armed forces to quell these activities. As a result, 71 armed forces personnel were killed, the ministry detailed.

The Azerbaijan military units stationed in these areas took decisive retaliatory measures to suppress the provocations of the Armenian armed forces and military threats to Azerbaijan's territory and sovereignty, as well as to ensure the safety of military personnel, including civilian workers involved in infrastructure construction in Kalbajar and Lachin districts, the ministry emphasized.

As of September 14, the Armenian government reported 105 losses among military personnel.

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