Blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh
The blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh was an event in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The region was disputed between Azerbaijan and the breakaway Republic of Artsakh, internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan, which had an ethnic Armenian population and was supported by neighbouring Armenia, until the dissolution of Republic of Artsakh on 28 September 2023.
| Blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh | ||||
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| Part of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict | ||||
Azerbaijan's military checkpoint on the Lachin corridor (top and bottom left), which was the only road connecting Artsakh to the outside world. EUMA monitors view the military checkpoint in the distance and the emergency aid convoy of trucks that Azerbaijan has blocked from entering (bottom right). | ||||
| Date | 12 December 2022 – 30 September 2023 (9 months, 2 weeks and 4 days) | |||
| Location | Nagorno-Karabakh | |||
| Goals |
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| Methods |
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| Resulted in |
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| Parties | ||||
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| Lead figures | ||||
Kirill Kulakov (4–30 September 2023) Samvel Shahramanyan (10–30 September 2023) | ||||
| Material consequences for individuals | ||||
| Death(s) | 4 civilians | |||
| Detained | 2 independent journalists, 5 civilians | |||
| Workers laid off | 11,000, including over 50% of private sector workers | |||
On 12 December 2022, under the guise of environmental protests, the Azerbaijani government launched a blockade of the Republic of Artsakh by sending citizens claiming to be eco-activists to block the Lachin corridor, a humanitarian corridor which connected Artsakh to Armenia and the outside world. Disguised military personnel, civil servants, members of pro-government NGOs, and youth organisations were among the so-called activists. The Azerbaijani government consolidated its blockade by seizing territory around the Lachin corridor both within Artsakh and Armenia, blocking alternative bypass routes, and installing military checkpoints. Azerbaijan has also sabotaged critical civilian infrastructure of Artsakh, crippling access to gas, electricity, and internet access.
The blockade led to a humanitarian crisis for the population in Artsakh; imports of essential goods have been blocked, as well as humanitarian convoys of the Red Cross and the Russian peacekeepers, trapping the 120,000 residents of the region. Shortages of essential goods – including electricity, fuel, and water reserves – were widespread and emergency reserves were rationed, along mass unemployment, and closures of schools and public transportation.
Azerbaijan claimed its actions were aimed at preventing the transportation of weapons and natural resources; Azerbaijan also said its goal was for Artsakh's "integration" into Azerbaijan, despite opposition from the population, and threatened military action.
Numerous countries, international organizations, and human rights observers condemned the blockade and considered it to be a form of hybrid warfare, ethnic cleansing, and genocide. Multiple international observers also considered the blockade and the inaction of the Russian peacekeepers to be violations of the tripartite ceasefire agreement signed between Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Russia, which ended the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War and guaranteed safe passage through the Lachin corridor. Azerbaijan has ignored calls from various countries and international organizations to restore freedom of movement through the corridor. The blockade ended on 30 September 2023, following an Azerbaijani military offensive and the subsequent exodus of Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh.