Azerbaijan launched what it called an “anti-terrorist operation” against Nagorno-Karabakh at 13:00 local time, with massive artillery and drone strikes overwhelming the starved and depleted Armenian forces.
Operation Begins
The assault started simultaneously across all fronts:
- Heavy artillery bombardment of Stepanakert
- Drone strikes on defensive positions
- Ground forces advancing from 5 directions
- Civilian areas under direct fire
- Communications cut within minutes
The attack comes after 282 days of total blockade, with defending forces weakened by starvation and without ammunition or fuel.
Overwhelming Force
Civilian Catastrophe
They’re shelling everything - homes, schools, hospitals. We’re hiding in basements with no food, no water. Children are screaming. This is the end.
Immediate civilian impact:
- Stepanakert - Under constant bombardment
- Hospitals - Direct hits reported
- Shelters - Overcrowded, no supplies
- Casualties - Numbers unknown, communications cut
- Panic - Mass attempts to flee
Military Collapse
Armenian forces, weakened by months of blockade:
- No fuel for vehicles or generators
- Ammunition exhausted months ago
- Soldiers malnourished and weak
- No air defense capability
- Command structure disrupted
Russian Peacekeepers Withdraw
In a shocking development:
- Russian forces retreated to bases
- No attempt to stop offensive
- Checkpoint abandoned
- Civilians fled to Russian bases
- Moscow silent on protection mandate
The Russians just pulled back and watched. Nine months of starvation, now bombardment, and they do nothing. We’ve been sacrificed.
International Response
Immediate Reactions
United States: “Deeply concerned” about military escalation European Union: Called for “immediate cessation” United Nations: Security Council emergency session requested Russia: “Monitoring situation closely”
Empty Words
As bombs fell on Stepanakert:
- No military intervention proposed
- No enforcement mechanisms activated
- Sanctions discussions continued
- “Diplomatic solutions” urged
Surrender Within Hours
By evening, with defenses collapsed:
- Armenian forces requested ceasefire
- Unconditional surrender offered
- White flags raised in Stepanakert
- Weapons surrender begun
- Population prepared for exodus
Historical End
The September 19 offensive marks the likely end of Armenian presence in Nagorno-Karabakh after more than 2,000 years of continuous habitation.
As night fell:
- Military defeat - Complete and rapid
- Humanitarian disaster - 120,000 facing uncertain fate
- International failure - No protection materialized
- Historical tragedy - Ancient community ending
- Ethnic cleansing - Through starvation and force
Exodus Preparations
Even as fighting continued:
- Families destroying documents
- Gathering meager possessions
- Saying goodbye to ancestral homes
- Preparing for forced displacement
- Accepting historical defeat
The “anti-terrorist operation” against a starved civilian population represents the final act in Azerbaijan’s campaign to empty Nagorno-Karabakh of its Armenian population, achieved through blockade, starvation, and military force while the world watched.