Casualties of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war

Casualties of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war between ethnic Armenian and Azerbaijani armed forces have been high,[1] officially in the low thousands.[2] According to official figures released by the belligerents, Armenia lost 3,439 troops killed,[3] while Azerbaijan lost 2,854 troops killed with 50 missing in action.[4] The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported the deaths of 541 Syrian fighters or mercenaries fighting for Azerbaijan.[5] However, it was noted that the sides downplayed the number of their own casualties and exaggerated the numbers of enemy casualties and injuries.[6]

The total number of reported civilian casualties on both sides is at least 150. Civilian areas, including major cities, have been hit, particularly Ganja, Barda, Tartar and Stepanakert, with many buildings and homes destroyed.[7][8][9]

Military casualties

Armenian

The Armenian side officially reported the deaths of more than 4,500 servicemen (additionally, the number of missing Armenian soldiers are higher than 600) and wounded more than 10,000. The Armenian Defense Army lost $5 billion in military equipment in just 44 days of war. [3]

On 28 September, Azerbaijani sources reported that Major General Arakel Martikyan, Chief of the Intelligence Department of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Armenia, had died in an explosion on the Line of Contact.[10][11] By 30 September the Azerbaijani authorities claimed more than 700 Armenian servicemen were killed or wounded.[12] Artsakh-Armenian Col. Sergey Shakaryan and Col. Vahagn Asatryan died. On 2 November, Artur Sargsyan, NKR Deputee Minister of Defense was killed in combat.[13]

Armenian sources also reported the deaths of several sportspeople in the military: Gor Sargsyan, a member of Armenian judo youth team,[14] Albert Dadoyan, a European powerlifting champion,[15] Tatul Harutyunyan, the champion of Armenia in powerlifting,[16] Erik Saryan, player of FC Lokomotiv Yerevan,[17] and Liparit Dashtoyan, a former player of FC Alashkert-2.[18]

Azerbaijani

During the conflict, the government of Azerbaijan did not disclose the number of its military casualties.[19] This was the first time Azerbaijan did not provide data on combat casualties, whereas during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War in 1992–1994 and in the April 2016 clashes, the Azerbaijani army reported this information.[6] On 28 December, the Azerbaijan Defense Ministry reported the deaths of 2,854 servicemen with another 50 missing in action.[4]

The Armenian side claimed 7,630 Azerbaijani soldiers and Syrian mercenaries were killed.[20][21]

Similar to the Armenian side, Azerbaijani sources also reported the deaths of athletes serving in the military: Arif Qeybiyev, a three-time champion of Azerbaijan in cross country running,[22] and Mukhtar Qasimli, the champion of Azerbaijan in bodybuilding.[23] On 22 October, the National Hero of Azerbaijan and veteran of the 2016 clashes, Colonel Shukur Hamidov, was killed.[24] On 23 November, Colonel Babek Semidli died from a land-mine in post-armistice search for missing soldiers.[25]

On 25 October, the death of an ethnic Russian Azerbaijani soldier, Dmitry Solntsev, was reported.[26] On 27 October, the first woman military casualty was reported, a combat medic who died while taking wounded soldiers from the battlefield.[27]

The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry announced the final number of military casualties on 21 December. According to the report, 2,801 soldiers were killed and more than 100 servicemen were missing or their bodies remained unidentified.[4] On 8 December, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry released a full list of military casualties, with names, ranks and birth dates.[28]

Syrian mercenaries

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported the deaths of 541 Syrian fighters or mercenaries fighting for Azerbaijan.[5] The dead included a veteran commander of the Turkish-backed Al-Hamzah Division, whose death was reported by Sayf Balud.[29]

Civilian casualties

Armenian

According to Armenian sources, on 27 September, two civilians were killed by Azerbaijani shelling in Martuni Province, with[30] approximately a dozen injured in Stepanakert;[31] the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry denied these claims.[32] On 10 October, Armenian media reported the killing of two civilians in Hadrut, a mother and his son with a disability, according to Armenia the killing would have been carried out by Azerbaijani infiltrators.[33][34] Armenian authorities reported 65 Armenian civilians were killed in the war.[35] However, a doctor in the city of Stepanakert reported that up to 300 to 400 Armenian civilians had been killed in the war as of 25 October.[36]

Armenian sources also indicated the clashes have displaced approximately half of Nagorno-Karabakh's population or approximately 70,000 people.[37]

Azerbaijani

According to Azerbaijani sources, the Armenian military has targeted densely populated areas containing civilian structures.[38] In the ballistic missile attacks on Ganja at least 24 people were killed in total. According to the Prosecutor General's Office of Azerbaijan, a total of 100 Azerbaijani civilians were killed and 416 were injured during the war.[39]

On 28 October, following the Barda missile attacks that killed around 26 civilians, the number of Azerbaijani civilians killed reached 91 and with 322 injured.[40]

Third parties

On 1 October, two French journalists from Le Monde covering the clashes in the city of Martuni, were injured by Azerbaijani fire.[41] A week later, three Russian journalists reporting in Shusha were seriously injured by an Azerbaijani attack.[42][43] 13-year-old Russian citizen Artur Mayakov died of wounds received during the ballistic missile attacks on Ganja on 17 October.[44]

Equipment losses

Armenian

From the start of the war on 27 September to 17 October the Azerbaijani MoD reported the destruction of up to 100 Armenian tanks and other armored vehicles, up to 100 artillery pieces, multiple launch rocket systems and mortars, up to 150 vehicles, up to 60 air defense means, 11 command-control and command-observation posts, eight ammunition depots and one S-300 missile system.[45] On 29 September Azerbaijan separately reported the destruction of a BM-27 Uragan rocket launcher.[46]

On 2 October, the Azerbaijani Center for Economic Reforms Analysis and Communication estimated Armenian losses at US$1.2 billion.[47]

On 9 October Azerbaijan reported that from the previous day until then 13 Armenian T-72 tanks, two IFVs, four BM-21 Grad launchers, two 2S3 Akatsiya self-propelled guns, three D-30 howitzers and two radar systems were destroyed.[48]

On 11 October Azerbaijani media reported the destruction of five T-72 tanks, six D-20 and D-30 howitzers, five trucks with ammunition, 11 other vehicles, three BM-21 Grad, five 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled howitzers and eight air defense systems.[49] On the same day it was reported that an Azerbaijani TB2 drone destroyed one Armenian Nebo-M radar station, having fired a MAM-L missile.[50]

On 14 October Azerbaijani media reported the destruction of five T-72 tanks, three BM-21 Grad rocket launchers, one 9K33 Osa missile system, one BMP-2 vehicle, one KS-19 air defense gun, two D-30 howitzers and several military automobiles.[51] On the same day the Azerbaijani MoD claimed the destruction of three R-17 Elbrus tactical ballistic missile launchers that had been targeting Ganja and Mingachevir.[52]

On 17 October Azerbaijan claimed the further destruction of one Sukhoi Su-25 aircraft,[53] seven T-72 tanks,[54] one S-300 missile system,[55] one S-125 missile system,[56] two BM-21 Grad rocket launchers,[54] eight D-30 and one D-20 howitzer, 10 trucks with ammunition and 7 vehicles.[54]

On 18 October Azerbaijan reported the destruction of another Sukhoi Su-25 aircraft[57] and, separately, three Tor M2KM missile systems by a precise MAM-L missile strike.[58]

On 19 October, the Azerbaijani MoD reported the destruction of two more T-72 tanks, two BM-21 Grad launchers, one D-30 howitzer, one D-20 howitzer and 11 automobile vehicles.[59]

On 20 October, Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev released a detailed list of destroyed and captured Armenian equipment, according to Azerbaijan. The destroyed equipment included 241 tanks, 50 IFVs, six drones, three Tor units, one TOS-1 unit, four S-300 missile systems, 70 BM-21 Grad units, about forty 9K33 Osa units, five 2K12 Kub and 2K11 Krug units, two BM-27 Uragan units, 198 trucks, 17 self-propelled artillery units, 53 anti-tank weapons, 198 guns, 58 mortars and eight electronic warfare units.[60] The captured trophies included 39 tanks, 24 IFVs, 12 mortars, 25 grenade launchers and 102 cargo vehicles.[60] The captured tanks have been reused against Armenian forces themselves.[60]

On 21 October three more Armenian drones were reportedly destroyed by the Azerbaijani air defense forces.[61]

On 29 October, two more Armenian Su-25 were destroyed, according to Azerbaijani Defense Ministry.[62]

Azerbaijani

Armenian and Artsakh authorities initially claimed the downing of four Azerbaijani helicopters and the destruction of ten tanks and IFVs, as well as 15 drones.[63] Later the numbers were revised to 34 tanks and armored personnel vehicles destroyed, two armored combat engineering vehicles destroyed and four helicopters and 27 unmanned aerial vehicles downed all within the first day of hostilities.[64] Footage was released showing the destruction or damage of five Azerbaijani tanks.[65]

Over the course of 2 October, the Artsakh Defence Army claimed the destruction of 39 Azerbaijani military vehicles, including a T-90 tank; four Sukhoi Su-25 aircraft; three Mi-24 attack helicopters; and 17 drones. Until 19 October, 100 Azerbaijani tanks are said to have been destroyed or captured.[66]

As of 8 November, the Armenian government-operated Armenian Unified InfoCenter claimed that Armenian forces have destroyed 264 drones, 16 attack helicopters, 25 warplanes, 784 armored vehicles, six TOS systems,[20] four BM-30 Smerch launchers and one Uragan launcher.[67]

References

  1. "The human cost of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2020-10-15.
  2. McKernan, Bethan; Zavallis, Achilleas (2020-10-13). "Trench warfare, drones and cowering civilians: on the ground in Nagorno-Karabakh". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2020-10-13.
  3. "Yerevan says around 3,400 killed in hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh". 20 January 2021. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  4. On 18 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Azerbaijan published a list of 2,855 servicemen it said were killed during the war, although at least one of the soldiers named was killed after the conflict ended, leaving a total of 2,854 servicemen confirmed killed in the war. 50 other servicemen were also considered as missing.
  5. "SOHR exclusive | Death toll of mercenaries in Azerbaijan is higher than that in Libya, while Syrian fighters given varying payments". Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. 3 December 2020. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
  6. "Military experts from Armenia and Azerbaijan question official casualty figures". JAMnews. 3 October 2020. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  7. "In pictures: Fighting rages in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict". BBC News. 2020-10-05. Archived from the original on 2020-10-05. Retrieved 2020-10-05.
  8. "Nagorno-Karabakh conflict: Major cities hit as heavy fighting continues". BBC News. 2020-10-04. Archived from the original on 2020-10-04. Retrieved 2020-10-05.
  9. "Armenia hits civilians visiting cemetery in Azerbaijan's Tartar", Daily Sabah, 15 October 2020, retrieved on 12 December 2020
  10. "Armenian Major-General and two Armenian Colonels killed in recent clashes". Defence.az. 28 September 2020. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  11. "Ermənistan itkilər verməkdə davam edir: Bir general və iki polkovnik". Trend News Agency. 28 September 2020. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  12. "Up to 700 enemy soldiers were killed". mod.gov.az. 30 September 2020. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
  13. Погиб заместитель командующего армией Нагорного Карабаха
  14. "Young Armenian judoist dies courageously in Artsakh". Sport.news.am. 19 October 2020. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  15. Արցախում զոհվել է Հայաստանի երիտասարդական առաջնությունների բազմակի չեմպիոն Ալբերտ Դադոյանը
  16. "Armenian powerlifting champion Tatul Harutyunyan dies in Artsakh". Sport.news.am. 4 October 2020. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  17. "Yerevan club footballer bravely falls on frontline". Sport.news.am. 17 October 2020. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  18. "Ex-player of Armenia football club dies in fierce battles". Sport.news.am. 5 October 2020. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  19. "Armenia–Azerbaijan conflict: Casualties mount in Nagorno-Karabakh battle". British Broadcasting Corporation. 29 September 2020. Archived from the original on 5 October 2020. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  20. "Azerbaijan's military death toll reaches 7,630". armenpress.am. 8 November 2020. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  21. "Artsakh's Defense Army publishes another list of casualties". Armenpress. 12 October 2020. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  22. "Üçqat ölkə çempionumuz şəhid oldu" (in Azerbaijani). Sportline.az. 30 September 2020. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  23. "Şəhid olan Azərbaycan çempionu Muxtar Qasımlı" (in Azerbaijani). Azerbaycan24. 5 October 2020. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  24. "Azerbaijani National Hero, Shukur Hamidov's name to be immortalized in Gubadli region". Azerbaycan24. 23 October 2020. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
  25. "Land Mine Kills Officer As Search Continues For Armenian, Azerbaijani Missing". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Retrieved 2020-11-23.
  26. Ethnic Russian soldier dies in the battle to liberate Azerbaijani lands from Armenian occupation
  27. "2-ci Qarabağ müharibəsinin ilk qadın şəhidi" (in Azerbaijani). Baku Post. 27 October 2020. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  28. "Vətən müharibəsində şəhid olmuş hərbi qulluqçuların siyahısı" (in Azerbaijani). Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan. 8 December 2020. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
  29. "Nagorno-Karabakh battles | Commander among 18 Turkish-backed Syrian mercenaries killed, bringing total death toll to 188". The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. 2020-10-21. Retrieved 2020-10-26.
  30. "Karabakh woman, child killed in Azerbaijan's shelling". PanArmenian.Net. Archived from the original on 2020-10-04. Retrieved 2020-10-11.
  31. "Միայն Ստեփանակերտում 10-ից ավելի վիրավոր կա, ներառյալ՝ երեխաներ ու կանայք. Արցախի ՄԻՊ". «Ազատ Եվրոպա/Ազատություն» ռադիոկայան. Archived from the original on 2020-09-29. Retrieved 2020-10-11.
  32. "Azerbaijan Army does not shell civilians". mod.gov.az. Archived from the original on 4 October 2020. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  33. "Azerbaijani subversive group kills mother and son in Hadrut". 10 October 2020.
  34. "Azerbaijanis kill civilians in their home in Artsakh amid ceasefire". 10 October 2020.
  35. "Омбудсмен Нагорного Карабаха заявил о 60 погибших мирных жителях" (in Russian). 23 December 2020. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
    Azerbaijani targeting of civilians has claimed lives of 31 in Artsakh
    20 bodies found in Hadrut and Jabrayil sections as search operations continue
  36. Attack Drones Dominating Tanks as Armenia-Azerbaijan Conflict Showcases the Future of War
  37. "Nagorno-Karabakh: Armenia and Azerbaijan shaky ceasefire in force". BBC News. 2020-10-10. Archived from the original on 10 October 2020. Retrieved 2020-10-10.
  38. "One more civil person killed as a result of shelling of residential settlements by Armenia". APA.az. 28 September 2020. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  39. Ayya Lmahamad (8 December 2020). "Civilian death toll in Armenian attacks reaches 100". azernews.az.
  40. "Civilian death toll in Armenian attacks reaches 91". AzerNews.az. 2020-10-28. Retrieved 2020-10-29.
  41. "Two French reporters 'injured' amid Armenia–Azerbaijan conflict Archived 2020-10-07 at the Wayback Machine," The Guardian. 1 October 2020.
  42. "Շուշիի Ղազանչեցոց եկեղեցու հրթիռակոծությունից վիրավորված ռուս լրագրողներից մեկի վիճակը ծայրահեղ ծանր է Archived 2020-10-11 at the Wayback Machine." ArmenPress. 8 October 2020.
  43. "Russia MFA: Russian reporters wounded in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone to be transported to Yerevan". Armenia News. 10 October 2020. Archived from the original on 11 October 2020. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  44. "Russian Citizen Becomes Victim of Shelling of Ganja". Turan. 24 October 2020. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  45. "Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry reveals list of the enemy's destroyed military equipment". Azertac. 7 October 2020. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  46. "Azerbaijan says Armenian's Uragan multiple launch rocket system destroyed". News.az. 29 September 2020. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  47. "Military losses of Armenia in first 4 days evaluated in amount of USD 1,2 bln". apa.az. 2 October 2020. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  48. "List of Armenia's destroyed military equipment today". Defence.az. 9 October 2020. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  49. "A large number of forces and equipment of Armenian army destroyed - LIST". Trend News Agency. 11 October 2020. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  50. "Azerbaijan destroyed Nebo-M radar of Armenia using". Global Defense Corp. 11 October 2020. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  51. "Военная техника ВС Армении, уничтоженная сегодня ночью - СПИСОК" (in Russian). Trend News Agency. 14 October 2020. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  52. "Yaşayış məntəqələrimizi hədəfə alan düşmən raketləri bölmələrimizin qabaqlayıcı zərbəsi ilə sıradan çıxarılıb" (in Azerbaijani). Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan. 14 October 2020. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  53. "Düşmənə məxsus Su-25 təyyarəsi məhv edilib" (in Azerbaijani). Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan. 17 October 2020. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  54. "New list of Armenian Armed Forces' destroyed equipment revealed". Trend. 17 October 2020. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  55. "Düşmənin S-300 zenit-raket kompleksinin məhv edilməsi" (in Azerbaijani). Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan. 17 October 2020. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  56. "Выведен из строя ЗРК С-125 армянских ВС - минобороны Азербайджана" (in Russian). Trend News Agency. 17 October 2020. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  57. "Azerbaijan shoots down another Su-25 aircraft of Armenia". News.az. 18 October 2020. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  58. "Armenian Tor-M2KM surface-to-air missile systems were destroyed: Azerbaijani Defense Ministry". Global Deffense Corp. 18 October 2020. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  59. "Cəbhədə son vəziyyət" (in Azerbaijani). Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan. 19 October 2020. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  60. "Президент Ильхам Алиев об уничтоженной и взятой в качестве военных трофеев технике ВС Армении" (in Russian). Trend News Agency. 20 October 2020. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  61. "Ermənistana məxsus daha 3 PUA məhv edilib" (in Azerbaijani). Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan. 21 October 2020. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  62. "The two Su-25 attack aircraft of Armenia were shot down". Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan. 29 October 2020. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  63. "Ոչնչացվել են հակառակորդի 4 ուղղաթիռ, շուրջ 15 ԱԹՍ, 10 տանկ և հետևակի մարտական մեքենա. ԼՂ ՊՆ". «Ազատ Եվրոպա/Ազատություն» ռադիոկայան. Archived from the original on 2020-09-29. Retrieved 2020-10-11.
  64. "Armenia military top brass hold tactical consultation". 28 September 2020. Archived from the original on 2 October 2020. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  65. "Tanks Ablaze As Azerbaijani Forces Attack Armenian Troops In Disputed Nagorno-Karabakh". Forbes.com. 27 September 2020. Archived from the original on 9 October 2020. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  66. "Իրավիճակի ամփոփում ժ. 18։00 դրությամբ. 02.10.2020թ" [Situation summary h. As of 18:00. 02.10.2020]. razm.info (in Armenian). 2 October 2020. Archived from the original on 7 October 2020. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  67. "Armenian Unified Infocenter: Azerbaijan army has 75 more casualties". News.am. 24 October 2020. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.