Ethnic Armenians Leave Nagorno-Karabakh as Fall of Stepanakert Imminent

Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh who fled their homes are put on a bus to evacuate to Goris at a humanitarian hub on September 24, 2023 in Kornidzor, Armenia. Thousands of ethnic Armenians have fled to Armenia from Nagorno-Karabakh after the enclave was regained by Azerbaijan, who seized the area inhabited by some 120,000 ethnic Armenians, prompting fears of repression and ethnic cleansing. This exodus is taking place via the so-called Lachin corridor, the region's only road connection to Azerbaijan's neighbor Armenia. Astrig Agopian/Getty Images

A mass exodus is underway as ethnic Armenians in the Azerbaijani-claimed region of Nagorno-Karabakh leave their homeland for Armenia after Baku launched a successful decapitation strike on the regional capital of Stepanakert last week.

The offensive quickly overwhelmed ethnic Armenian fighters that Artsakh officials were compelled to return to the negotiating table to discuss the enclave's fate.

As a result of the blitz, many ethnic Armenians packed everything they could carry and began leaving for friendly lands, specifically for Armenia, where the border city of Goris is being used as a staging ground for processing those evacuating Karabakh.

Those leaving the region are to be escorted by Russian peacekeepers to the Armenian border, Artsakh officials added.

Azerbaijan's Turkish Backing

Being a fellow Turkic state, Azerbaijan was able to garner the material support of Turkey in capturing Nagorno-Karabakh by force, especially during the 2020 war, which lasted six weeks long.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev was due to meet with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on Monday (September 25) in the Azeri exclave of Nakhchivan.

Erdogan stressed last week that he was supporting Baku's military operation but played no part in it.

US Officials Travel to Armenia

On the other hand, An unnamed US official told Reuters that US Agency for International Development (USAID) chief Samantha Power and State Department Acting Assistant Secretary for Europe and Eurasian Affairs Yuri Kim would also arrive in Armenia Monday to affirm US support for Armenia's democracy, sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, as well as its commitment to address humanitarian needs out of Nagorno-Karabakh.

The official added that power would be the first of the two Washington officials arriving in Yerevan to affirm US partnership with the country and to address the humanitarian efforts needed to accommodate those fleeing their homes.

Karabakh Lives On in Armenia, Artsakh Officials Say

Nagorno-Karabakh officials told Reuters that the region's 120,000 Armenian residents refused to live as part of Azerbaijan for fear of persecution and ethnic cleansing, much like the famed Armenian Genocide during the First World War.

Back in Yerevan, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan faced calls for him to resign for his failure to save Karabakh. In an address to the nation, he said that the mass exodus from Nagorno-Karabakh was the only way for ethnic Armenians in the region to save their lives and identity.

Those whose cars still had fuel started to drive down the Lachin corridor toward the Armenian border, with the likelihood they would never return to their homeland again.

Officials in Yerevan said over 1,000 people had crossed into Armenia from Nagorno-Karabakh as of 22:00 local time Sunday (18:00 UTC, September 24).

Despite Azerbaijan's promises to guarantee their rights as Nagorno-Karabakh is integrated, Artsakh presidential adviser David Babayan claimed that "99.9%" of ethnic Armenians would rather leave their historic lands than become Azerbaijani citizens.

"The fate of our poor people will go down in history as a disgrace and a shame for the Armenian people and for the whole civilized world," he added. "Those responsible for our fate will one day have to answer before God for their sins."