BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 16. Tensions on the Azerbaijani-Armenian border on September 12-14, 2022 led to a heavy defeat for Yerevan, Trend reports.
The armed forces of Azerbaijan inflicted a serious blow to the Armenian side both in terms of military equipment and personnel. As the widespread videos have shown, the Azerbaijani army destroyed military infrastructure and military equipment of Armenia worth billions of dollars on the border with Azerbaijan.
With its unique military operation, Azerbaijan stopped the provocation and the attempt of Armenia to gain new positions. Armenia received a crushing blow from which it won’t be able to recover for a long time.
Azerbaijan achieved both a military and psychological, as well as a political victory over Armenia.
Military victory of Azerbaijan over Armenia
During the response operation to the provocation, the Armenian air defense system was disabled, combat positions were taken under control, a significant number of dominant heights, and over 14,500 ordnances were seized. Two S-300 5N63 IYR radars, three S-300 5P85 BG launchers in the direction of the Gorus region and the settlement of Novruzlu (Kahnut), two S-125 RTS-125 radars in the direction of the Basarkechar region and Ashaghi Garanlig (Martuni) settlement, and a large number of Armenian manpower were destroyed, and a lot of Armenian soldiers were also injured.
Totally, 53 Armenian combat positions, two positions for mortar fire, and the permanent deployment point of the 538th separate mountain rifle brigade in the direction of Zod settlement, starting positions of two S-300 and two S-125 were destroyed. The entire transport and communication system and the most important heights located in the border region were taken under the control by Azerbaijan.
Thus, all military facilities which were built by the armed forces of Armenia in the Lachin, Kalbajar and Zangilan directions and posed a threat to Azerbaijan, were destroyed. Yerevan will need at least four-five years to restore these facilities. The country will have to spend billions of dollars to purchase new weapons for replacing the destroyed ones and restore the military infrastructure.
Reportedly, Armenia lost more than 10,000 servicemen during the 2020 second Karabakh war, and its armed forces suffered material damage in the amount of more than $2 billion. The destruction of Armenia's military infrastructure during the September 12-14 operation has put Yerevan in an even more desperate situation. The Armenian side hasn’t yet been able to compensate for the damage to military equipment suffered during the second Karabakh war.
Psychological victory of President Ilham Aliyev
The Armenian society and authorities are pessimistic and desperately looking for a way out, experiencing the shock of defeat. Azerbaijan's tough and consistent response to the Armenian provocation has caused serious fear and pessimism in Armenia, disbelief in the political influence of the government and the strength of the armed forces. The Armenian society demands from the political authorities a report on the reasons for the defeat, and the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
Political victory of President Ilham Aliyev
First of all, Azerbaijan once again showed to the world that it’s not afraid of any political pressure, threatening rhetoric from anyone's side and is ready to immediately respond to any step which threatens the sovereignty of the country.
Neither its ally under the military partnership agreement, nor the military bloc - the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), came to help its member Armenia. The CSTO members have openly refused to provide military assistance to Armenia. This once again proves that Baku, as a result of a successful policy, managed to attract to its side the states which are in the same military bloc with Armenia, and they respect the military and political decisions of Azerbaijan.
At the same time, the refusal of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to attend the Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Samarkand is symbolic in the current situation. This reminded his refusal to sign the trilateral statement of November 10, 2020 [following the second Karabakh war] before the cameras.
By refusing to participate in the above summit, Pashinyan once again demonstrated to the whole world that Armenia politically lost to Azerbaijan, and he himself lost the chance to join political discussions with the participation of the leading leaders of the region related to the future of the South Caucasus, including the Azerbaijani-Armenian relations.
Thus, as a result of another lesson taught to Armenia by Azerbaijan, the Armenian society and the authorities again found themselves in the situation they were in after the defeat in the second Karabakh war.
The might of the Azerbaijani army and successful political diplomacy again brought great military and political victories to the Azerbaijani people. The recent successful response to the Armenian provocation was another victory of the Azerbaijani people.