The Armenian Ministry of Defence (MOD) has reported that one of their soldiers was killed near Nakhchivan in the Yeraskh section of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. Senior non-commissioned officer Vahan Dimiki Tatosyan, serving in the N military unit of the Republic of Armenia’s Armed Forces, received a fatal gunshot wound from an Azerbaijani sniper this morning (16 August) at around 09:50. The Armenian MOD statement also reports that the Azerbaijani side suffered losses following retaliatory actions, though the Azerbaijani MOD has stated that there have been no wounded or killed among its military personnel.
Azerbaijan has denied any wrongdoing, dismissing the report by Yerevan as a fake. "We report that by spreading the misinformation, the opposite side is trying to hide the fact of murder in Armenia of a serviceman as a result of an internal conflict", said the Azerbaijani MOD.
This latest incident comes after more border clashes throughout the weekend. The Azerbaijani MOD has accused Armenian troops of opening fire on multiple occasions over the past few days, including "illegal Armenian armed detachments in the territory of Azerbaijan, where Russian peacekeepers are temporarily deployed, committed provocation against the Azerbaijan Army Units in the vicinity of the city of Shusha”. The Armenian MOD has levelled similar accusations at Azerbaijan, claiming Azerbaijani troops opened fire and employed provocative measures, such as attempts to advance into parts of the Syunik region. While Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed to the re-establishment of a Russian brokered ceasefire on 28 July, tensions at the border have remained high since, with both sides repeatedly accusing the other of violating the agreement.
The Armenian MOD statement also expressed condolences and support for the family members, relatives and colleagues of the deceased serviceman.