The Outbreak of the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War
13. September 27, 2020: The Beginning of the War
On the morning of September 27, 2020, large-scale hostilities erupted along the Nagorno-Karabakh Line of Contact.
Azerbaijani forces launched extensive military operations involving artillery, armored vehicles, infantry, drones, and missile systems.
The Armenian and Artsakh authorities reported attacks against their military positions and populated settlements.
Azerbaijan described its operations as a counteroffensive in response to Armenian military activity and shelling.
The two sides disputed responsibility for the immediate escalation. Nevertheless, the scale, direction, and subsequent development of the campaign led many independent observers to characterize the war as a major Azerbaijani offensive intended to recover territory lost in the 1990s.
The fighting quickly spread across several sectors of the front.
Unlike the limited confrontations of previous years, the September offensive involved sustained military operations over a broad geographical area.
The Armenian side declared martial law and general mobilization.
Azerbaijan also declared martial law and introduced mobilization measures.
The opening days demonstrated that the confrontation would be substantially larger than the Four-Day War of 2016.
14. The Opening Artillery and Drone Campaign
Azerbaijan began striking Armenian and Artsakh military positions using artillery, rockets, unmanned aerial vehicles, and other systems.
Targets included tanks, artillery batteries, air-defense systems, military vehicles, fortified positions, and supply infrastructure.
Armenian forces responded with artillery fire, anti-tank weapons, armored formations, and defensive operations.
The battlefield was shaped by mountainous terrain, fortified defensive positions, and the extensive use of remote observation.
Azerbaijan's ability to combine drone surveillance with artillery and precision strikes became an important advantage.
Armenian positions that had been constructed to withstand conventional ground attacks were increasingly vulnerable to detection and destruction from above.
15. The Northern and Southern Fronts
The military geography of Nagorno-Karabakh created different operational conditions across the front.
The northern sector included mountainous terrain, narrow approaches, and strongly defended positions near the Murovdag range.
The central sector contained heavily fortified areas and strategically important roads.
The southern sector, particularly the lower terrain near the Iranian border, offered greater opportunities for mechanized movement and coordinated offensives.
Azerbaijan conducted operations in several sectors, but its most consequential advances eventually occurred in the south.
The southern campaign enabled Azerbaijani forces to penetrate defensive lines, capture settlements, and move westward toward the Armenian border.
This maneuver increasingly threatened the communications routes connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia.
16. The Battle for the Murovdag Mountains
During the opening phase, Azerbaijani forces announced the capture of positions in the Murovdag mountain range.
These mountains held strategic importance because high ground provided observation over roads, military installations, and defensive positions.
Control of mountain passes could also affect communications between different Armenian defensive sectors.
The exact sequence of territorial gains was difficult to establish independently during the fighting because access to the battlefield was restricted.
Nevertheless, the northern offensive forced Armenian commanders to commit resources to defending important terrain while the principal Azerbaijani advance developed elsewhere.
17. The Battle for Jabrayil
The Jabrayil district became one of the principal areas of Azerbaijani military progress.
Azerbaijani forces advanced through villages and defensive positions in the southern portion of the conflict zone.
On October 4, President Ilham Aliyev announced the capture of Jabrayil city.
The Armenian side initially disputed several Azerbaijani battlefield claims, but subsequent developments confirmed major Azerbaijani territorial gains in the district.
The capture of Jabrayil was strategically important because it helped open the route toward Fuzuli, Zangilan, and Qubadli.
It also demonstrated that Armenian defensive formations were struggling to prevent a sustained Azerbaijani advance.
18. The Battle for Fuzuli
The Fuzuli district had been one of the territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh under Armenian control since the First War.
Its military importance included roads, defensive positions, and access to the southern approaches toward the mountainous interior.
Azerbaijani forces conducted extensive operations against Armenian positions in the district.
On October 17, Azerbaijan announced the capture of Fuzuli city.
The loss of Fuzuli represented another major setback for Armenian forces.
It contributed to the progressive collapse of the southern defensive system and enabled further Azerbaijani movement toward strategically important territory.
19. The Advance Along the Iranian Border
One of the defining operations of the war was Azerbaijan's westward advance along the Aras River, which forms part of the border between Azerbaijan and Iran.
Azerbaijani forces moved through territory previously controlled by Armenian forces.
The offensive captured or threatened settlements and transportation routes in the Jabrayil and Zangilan districts.
On October 20, Azerbaijan announced the capture of Zangilan city.
The advance enabled Azerbaijan to reestablish control over much of its southern border with Iran.
It also placed increasing pressure on Armenian defensive positions farther north.
Iran watched the fighting closely because artillery fire and other military activity near the border raised security concerns.
Iranian authorities called for respect for internationally recognized borders and expressed concern about the presence of foreign fighters and the danger of regional escalation.
20. The Battle for Qubadli
Following the capture of territory along the Iranian border, Azerbaijani forces advanced toward Qubadli.
On October 25, Azerbaijan announced that it had captured Qubadli city.
This advance was particularly significant because Qubadli lies on routes approaching the Lachin district and the mountainous approaches to Nagorno-Karabakh.
The Azerbaijani military was no longer simply recovering lowland territory.
It was approaching the communication network essential to the Armenian defense of Nagorno-Karabakh.
The loss of Qubadli placed Armenian forces under growing operational pressure and reduced their ability to reorganize defensive lines.
21. The Battle for Hadrut
Hadrut was one of the most important and contested areas of the war.
Unlike several surrounding districts captured by Azerbaijan, Hadrut lay within the territory of the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast.
Its capture therefore had both military and political significance.
Azerbaijan announced the capture of Hadrut on October 9.
Armenian officials initially denied that the town had fallen, and fighting continued in the surrounding area.
Subsequent evidence established that Azerbaijani forces had gained control of Hadrut.
The loss of the town threatened Armenian positions in the southern mountainous areas and contributed to the broader deterioration of the Armenian defensive system.
Hadrut and its surrounding villages also became the locations of reported abuses against Armenian civilians and captives.
Human rights investigations subsequently documented serious allegations of executions, torture, and other violations involving individuals captured during the conflict.
22. The Strategic Importance of the Lachin Corridor
The Lachin Corridor was the principal road connection between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.
During the First War, Armenian forces had captured Lachin in 1992, establishing a land route between the two territories.
For the following decades, this connection became essential for civilian travel, trade, medical transport, military logistics, and the movement of supplies.
During the 2020 war, Azerbaijani advances toward Lachin threatened the Armenian side's ability to reinforce and sustain its positions.
The road network through Lachin and Shushi was especially important.
As Azerbaijani forces moved closer to these routes, the Armenian military faced an increasingly serious danger of operational isolation.
Although Azerbaijan did not need to capture every kilometer of the corridor to influence the battlefield, its proximity to critical roads created substantial pressure on Armenian commanders.