September 29, 2020 - 19:45 AMT
Russia: Third parties seeking to interfere "only add fuel to fire" in Karabakh

The Kremlin believes that statements by third parties about possible military support to Armenia and Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict only add fuel to the fire, press secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov told reporters on September 29.

According to him, the parties to the conflict "should be persuaded" to return to a political and diplomatic way of settlement, TASS reports.

"We call on all countries, especially our partners such as Turkey, to do everything to convince the warring parties to cease fire and return to a peaceful settlement of this long-standing conflict," Peskov said.

He stressed that the Russian side maintains constant communication with Yerevan, Baku and Ankara.

Peskov's comments came hours before the Armenian Defense Ministry revealed that a Turkish F-16 fighter aircraft flying in Azerbaijan has downed an Armenian Su-25 attack bomber flying in Armenia's airspace.

Azerbaijan launched a major offensive against Karabakh (Artsakh) in the morning of September 27, shelling Armenian positions and civilian settlements with large caliber weapons and rocket systems. Armenia and Karabakh have introduced martial law and total mobilization. The Armenian side has reported deaths and injuries both among the civilian population and the military.