Moscow Calls On Azerbaijan To Unblock Lachin Corridor

In a statement, the Russian gov't has called on Azerbaijan to "fully unblock the Lachin Corridor which links Armenia with the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave", stating that "blocking it contravenes ceasefire deal and increases tensions". While security developments in the south Caucuses are often a self-contained issue with limited broader impact, a significant escalation in violence could see other regional powers such as Russia, Turkey and Iran becoming more involved.

• OC Media reports that ...all traffic had been blocked since Thursday, following a shooting at the Azerbaijani checkpoint at the entrance to the Lachin Corridor earlier that day. The Red Cross also told local media in Armenia that Azerbaijani soldiers had blocked entry and exit of vehicles to the region since Thursday."
• Russia is ostensibly a security guarantor for Armenia, with the country home to Russian peacekeeping forces, but has sought to act more as a mediator between the two sides recently. Speaking in May, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that "In my opinion, on the whole, despite difficulties and problems, and there are enough of them, the situation is nonetheless moving towards a settlement,"