Secretary of the Security Council Armen Grigoryan told reporters that the depopulation of Nagorno-Karabakh is the result of multiple factors and that the Armenian government is not to blame.

“This is unequivocal,” he said, as reported by Aysor.am .

“Starting with Russia, everyone has recognized Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity, but I don’t want to delve into these discussions,” Grigoryan remarked, addressing the stance of international actors.

On September 19, 2023, Azerbaijan launched a large-scale attack on Artsakh, subjecting the entire region to heavy shelling. On the following day, September 20, the authorities of Artsakh agreed to a Russian peacekeeping mission’s proposal for a ceasefire, accepting Baku’s terms, including the disarmament of the Artsakh Defense Army and the dissolution of the Republic of Artsakh. Starting September 24, a forced displacement of Artsakh Armenians began, with over 100,000 people forcibly relocated to Armenia. According to some reports, only about 20 Armenians remain in Artsakh. On September 28, Artsakh President Samvel Shahramanyan signed a decree dissolving the Republic of Artsakh, effective January 1, 2024.