Russia "deeply alarmed" about what is happening in Nagorno-Karabakh - foreign fighters are involved in hostilities

“Illegal militants, including from Syria and Libya, are being sent to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone to be directly involved in the fighting,” the ministry said in a statement. “We are deeply excited.”

The ministry has indicated that this not only leads to further escalation of the conflict, but also poses a long-term threat to all countries in the region.

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Moscow has called on all countries concerned to take effective measures to prevent the use of foreign terrorists and mercenaries in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Heavy fighting has reportedly begun on the actual border of Nagorno-Karabakh on Sunday morning. Both sides accuse each other of starting war.

Both Armenia and the internationally unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh have declared a state of war and general mobilization. Azerbaijan has also declared a state of war and a partial mobilization.

The Armenian Ministry of Defense claims that the Azerbaijani army is supported in combat by Turkish drones and fighter jets. Azerbaijan, meanwhile, says ethnic Armenian militants from Syria are fighting on the Armenian side.

Explanation: Why can’t Armenians and Azerbaijanis divide Nagorno-Karabakh for at least 2,000 years?

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The battle for Nagorno-Karabakh continues. Both sides claim to prevail

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There have been hostile relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia since the 1990s, when the war over the Nagorno-Karabakh region was fought.

Nagorno-Karabakh, which was part of the Azerbaijani SSR during the Soviet era, has been a “de facto” independent Armenian republic since the early 1990s. Although Azerbaijan has never controlled Nagorno-Karabakh since the collapse of the USSR, it considers the Armenian region to be its territory. Nagorno-Karabakh is also considered by the international community to be part of Azerbaijan, and no country has recognized the region as an independent state.

Nagorno-Karabakh first declared its independence in 1991. Its secession from Azerbaijan contributed to the outbreak of war between Azerbaijan and Armenia. About 35,000 people lost their lives in the war, and more than a million people in both countries were forced to flee their homes.