Armenia accused Azerbaijan today of preparing a "military provocation" by massing soldiers along the border of the two countries and near the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
"Azerbaijan shows its intention to carry out a new military provocation against Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia," Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said.
He stated, at the government meeting in Yerevan, that the military and political situation in the Armenian region has significantly worsened.
On the other hand, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the "new false political manipulation".
"Armenia should give up its territorial pretensions towards Azerbaijan, stop military-political provocations and stop creating obstacles to the peace process," the statement of the Azerbaijani Ministry states.
Armenian Defense Minister Suren Papikian canceled his planned visit to Cyprus due to the worsening situation in Armenia, his Cypriot colleague Mihalis Giorgalas announced via social networks.
An EU monitoring mission deployed on the Armenian side of the border said the EU had increased patrolling activities to watch for any possible military activity.
The increase in tension is observed ahead of early elections for the leader of Nagorno-Karabakh, which are due to be held on Saturday.
In a few days, joint military exercises between Armenia and the US peacekeeping forces are also scheduled to take place.
Today, the Kremlin condemned those exercises, saying they would undermine the stability of the Caucasus.
"Of course, such exercises do not contribute to stabilizing the situation and strengthening the atmosphere of trust in the region," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, arguing that Russia continues to fulfill its function as a guarantor of regional security.
Armenians blame Moscow and its peacekeeping troops for failing to fulfill their mission and allowing Azerbaijan to block a key supply route to Nagorno-Karabakh.
Armenia and Azerbaijan fought two wars for sovereignty over that mountainous territory inhabited mostly by Armenians but internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan.
The latest war between Baku and Yerevan in 2020 ended with the defeat of Armenia, which had to cede territories in and around Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijan.
Tensions have risen in recent months due to regular armed incidents on the border.
Meanwhile, the peace process is deadlocked despite mediation efforts by Russia, which has historical influence in the region, as well as the Europeans and the US.
Tensions have risen since early July when Azerbaijan blocked movement through the Lachin Corridor, the only road linking Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia, leading to shortages in the area.
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