Christmas liturgy has been served in the Cathedral of Stepanakert as the blockade of the Lachin corridor connecting Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) to Armenia is now in its fourth week.

Local officials have started to implement price controls and ration remaining goods, but the Christmas tree is lit in the central square of the capital, Stepanakert.

Karabakh residents have reported shortages, with no fruit in Artsakh’s markets, which would be part of the traditional Christmas Eve feast alongside fish, rice pilaf, and raisins. More critically, however, hospital patients don't have access to essential medicines, with only a handful allowed transfer to facilities in Armenia proper.

Azerbaijan cut gas supplies for several days in the winter cold and restored it only after international pressure. More than 1,000 residents, including children, still remain stranded in the Armenian town of Goris.