Putin puts Karabakh death toll at nearly 5,000 from both sides

PanARMENIAN.Net - The death toll since the beginning of large-scale hostilities in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone is approaching 5,000 from both sides, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said.

"According to the information we have, more than 2,000 people have been killed on each side. The total death toll is approaching 5,000," Putin said Thursday, October 22, according to Moskovsky Komsomolets.

“No one is interested in resolving the conflict in Karabakh more than Russia. We proposed a variety of options for settling the Karabakh crisis, it seemed at some point that we would find a solution, unfortunately, this did not happen,” Putin said, adding that he speaks with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev several times a day in search of a compromise on Karabakh.

The Armenian side has announced the death of 874 servicemen as of October 22. According to the Karabakh Defense Army, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces have lost about 6,500 soldiers.

Azerbaijan, with help from Turkey and Syrian and Libyan mercenaries deployed by Ankara, started a war against Karabakh (Artsakh) in the morning of September 27. The Armenian side has reported deaths and injuries both among the civilian population and the military. Foreign and local journalists too have been injured in Azeri shelling of towns and villages.