Chronicles of Victory: Reviewing the 22nd Day of the Second Karabakh War

A retrospective look at the 22nd day of the 44-day Second Karabakh War details military developments, ceasefire violations, and territorial updates from October 18, 2020.

BAKU — Marking the 22nd day of the 44-day Second Karabakh War on October 18, 2020, the Azerbaijani military and leadership highlighted several key developments as operations continued following a counter-offensive launched on September 27.

President Ilham Aliyev shared a publication on his official social media page announcing that the Azerbaijani Armed Forces raised the national flag over the ancient Khudafarin bridge. First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva also made a related post on her official social media account.

The Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan reported that a new humanitarian ceasefire agreement was once again grossly violated by Armenian armed forces. Amid the ongoing hostilities, the ministry published a list of destroyed enemy equipment and announced the capture of an Armenian military unit along with additional military equipment and ammunition.

During the day’s engagements, the Air Defense Units of Azerbaijan shot down a Su-25 attack aircraft belonging to the Armenian Armed Forces, while another tactical unmanned aerial vehicle was destroyed. The military noted that Armenian forces attempted attacks in the Aghdara, Fuzuli, Hadrut, and Jabrayil directions, during which Azerbaijani soldiers successfully captured positions of Armenian special forces.

Authorities also confirmed that the Azerbaijani flag was raised in the center of the city of Fuzuli following its liberation from occupation. The overarching 44-day conflict ultimately concluded with the restoration of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity after nearly 30 years of occupation.