South Front

1. How Pashinyan Betrayed Armenia For A US Pat On The Back And A Snoop Dogg Concert

Click to see the full-size image

Written by Drago Bosnic, independent geopolitical and military analyst

The full background of the crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh (also known as Artsakh to native Armenians) is centuries old and certainly exceeds the scope of a single opinion piece. It can be argued that it would probably require nothing short of a small library. Thus, the focus will be on the most recent tragic events unfolding in the embattled region, primarily in the last several days and weeks, along with the main events of the last five years. Namely, on September 19, Azerbaijan launched yet another full-scale attack on what was left of Artsakh following their previous invasion in 2020, when most of the Armenian-populated republic was lost, including the strategically (and historically) important city of Shushi. Azerbaijan had the full support of Turkey, which provided unmanned systems, artillery pieces, armored vehicles, ISR (intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance) data, etc.

On the other hand, Artsakh was largely abandoned, even by Armenia itself, as the Sorosite Pashinyan regime, busy with making openly anti-Russian moves, quietly gave up on the Armenian-populated republic. Before Nikol Pashinyan came to power in 2018, after the US-backed "Velvet Revolution", Yerevan was actively engaged in Artsakh, with local armed forces effectively integrated within the Armenian military itself, while their economies and infrastructure were also largely unified. In addition, the country was firmly allied to Russia, which provided security not only to Armenia proper, but Artsakh as well. And yet, in the aftermath of the aforementioned color revolution, the new Sorosite regime decided to completely dismantle Armenia's previously stable foreign policy. Needless to say, the results have been an absolute disaster for the Armenian people.

Unfortunately, the role of Armenia's diaspora living in Western countries (primarily the United States and, to an extent, France) has been instrumental in this collectively suicidal effort. Ironically, the descendants of survivors of the horrendous Turkish-perpetrated Armenian genocide that nearly wiped out all Armenians inadvertently contributed to a sort of 21st-century version of the same in Artsakh. Naively believing that the US would be able (or even willing) to get into a virtually direct confrontation with its NATO ally Turkey, Armenian Americans supported the 2018 coup, helping Pashinyan seize power. He immediately started a campaign of sweeping anti-Russian "reforms", including the closing of Russian-language schools, suppression of pro-Russian media, as well as the openly declared intention to join the European Union and NATO.

This effectively destroyed the traditional, centuries-long Russo-Armenian alliance, turning it into a mere superficially cordial formality. Pashinyan's blame game with Moscow for the defeat during the 2020 Azeri invasion led to further cooling in relations, with Russia slamming Armenia for not engaging in the conflict itself while demanding Moscow to launch a war against Baku, despite friendly (and much more predictable) relations between the two Caspian Sea neighbors. And yet, in 2020, Russia still deployed 2000 peacekeepers to prevent the total loss of Artsakh. For his part, Pashinyan continued with anti-Russian foreign policy and rhetoric, naively believing that the US would step in and replace Russia as Armenia's most important security partner. Washington DC was happy to take yet another opportunity to hurt Russia's interests in the region.

Pashinyan also allowed the massive expansion of the American Embassy in Yerevan, which is now housing over 2000 staff members, many of whom are intelligence operatives whose activities are an obvious security hazard for Russian forces deployed in the South Caucasus. Back in January, he canceled joint military exercises with Russian troops, once again grumbling about Moscow's unwillingness to go to war with Azerbaijan at a time when even Armenia itself refused to do so. In the meantime, the NATO-sponsored Putin indictment launched by the increasingly illegitimate ICC was supported by Pashinyan's Sorosite allies, who openly stated that arresting Putin in Armenia and extraditing him to the ICC was supposedly "in the best interest of Yerevan".

As if that wasn't bad enough, Pashinyan agreed to conduct joint military exercises with US troops on Armenian soil, right in the middle of the second (and in all likelihood, final) Azeri invasion of Artsakh. Worse yet, the said exercises also involved crowd control and anti-riot training, obviously indicating that Pashinyan's US handlers knew what to expect. Hardly surprising, given that the Pentagon kept close contact with Azeri counterparts in the months prior to the invasion. Meanwhile, the only people actually taking care of the unfortunate Armenian refugees are the Russian peacekeepers, some of whom were even killed in a supposedly "accidental" Azeri attack. Pashinyan's only statement worth mentioning so far has been that Armenia will stay out of the conflict.

It's quite clear that the escalation in the region is in the political West's interest, as it aims to destabilize Moscow's periphery in hopes of diverting Russian resources and attention away from Ukraine. At the same time, the belligerent power pole is trying to present the ongoing events as Putin's fault, with pro-Soros Armenians protesting in front of the Russian embassy in Yerevan. Sorosites are consciously ignoring the fact that Russia kept the peace in Artsakh for nearly a quarter of a century (1994-2020). Pashinyan's diaspora backers decided (quite bizarrely) to block a highway in Los Angeles, a place nearly 12,000 km away from their native lands. On the other hand, the majority of sane Armenians are (rightfully) enraged at Pashinyan and are demanding his resignation.

The political West will certainly try to keep him in power for as long as possible and given how beneficial he's been to Turkey's and Azerbaijan's Neo-Ottoman ambitions and delusions of grandeur, it's likely both Ankara and Baku will also want to ensure he stays. After all, who wouldn't want an "enemy" busy with organizing a Snoop Dogg concert rather than defending his people and country? That says a lot about Pashinyan's priorities while the Armenian people of Artsakh are subjected to yet another Turko-Azeri genocide. Their goal is to have Armenians wiped out from their multi-millennial native lands. However, things could get a lot worse, as Pashinyan's continued pro-Western pivot could lead to the complete destruction of Armenia proper as well.

• Pashinyan Says Armenia Did Not Help Draft Karabakh Ceasefire Agreement
• Armenia Should Resume Cooperation With Russia To Stop Escalation In Artsakh
• Grigoryan Risks Armenia's Sovereignty By Changing Alliances When Azerbaijan Threatens War

The post How Pashinyan Betrayed Armenia For A US Pat On The Back And A Snoop Dogg Concert appeared first on South Front.

2. Tank Stolen From Israeli Army Base Found In Scrapyard (Video)

Click to see full-size image. Source: Israeli Police.

A tank that was stolen from a training base of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) near the Eliakim Interchange in northern Israel had been found, Israeli Police announced on September 20.

In a statement, the police said that the tank was found in a scrapyard, some 20 kilometers to the south of the coastal city of Haifa.

"From a preliminary investigation of the circumstances of the case, it is suspected that the tank is not active and was stolen from the scene for reasons that are being investigated at this stage," a police statement said. "Upon locating the stolen tank, a notification was sent to the Ministry of Defence and the police opened a joint investigation with the Ministry of Defense."

The IDF said in a separate statement that the tank was just the chassis of a Merkava Mk II that was decommissioned many years ago.

"It has no means of armament, and its systems do not function," the statement reads. "The tank was stationed in a firing area, that's open to any passersby, and was used as a stationary vehicle for soldiers' exercises."

The statement said the tank "was returned to the security system". It added that "the investigation of the incident continues, and a command investigation will also take place."

Two suspects have been arrested in relation to the theft of the decommissioned IDF tank, according to The Jerusalem Post.



Oddly enough, this was not the first time an IDF tank was stolen this year. Last February, two veteran army soldiers stole a tank from the Golan Heights to protest against the government's plans to overhaul the country's judiciary.

The Merkava has been the IDF's main battle tank since the 1980s. On September 19, Israel revealed the 5th generation of the tank, dubbed the Barak.

MORE ON THIS TOPIC:

• In Video: Israel Unveils Its Fifth Generation Main Battle Tank
• Israel's Complex Strategic Landscape in 2023: Balancing Regional Challenges and Global Alliances

The post Tank Stolen From Israeli Army Base Found In Scrapyard (Video) appeared first on South Front.

3. Strikes Hit Ukraine After Large-Scale Drone Attack On Russia (Photos)

File image.

Late on September 20, the Russian military thwarted a large-scale attack with suicide drones that was launched by Kiev forces.

In a statement, the Russian Ministry of Defense said that air defenses had intercepted 19 drones over the Black Sea and Crimea and another three over the Belgorod, Kursk and Oryol regions.

"An attempt by the Kiev regime to carry out a terrorist attack on facilities on Russian soil with the use of unmanned aerial vehicles was thwarted. Air defense forces destroyed 19 Ukrainian UAVs [Unmanned Aerial Vehicles] over the Black Sea and the Republic of Crimes and three more over the Kursk, Belgorod and Oryol regions," the statement reads.

Russian media didn't report casualties or material losses in any region as a result of the large-scale Ukrainian drone attack.

The response to the attack came quickly. Early on September 21, a series of blasts rocked the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, and several other regions, including Lviv, Rivne, Kharkov, Cherkasy, Vinnytsia and Khmelnitsky.

Ukrainian media reported that the Russian military launched several missile strikes. The Ukrainian Air Force later claimed in a statement that its air defenses intercepted 36 out of 43 Russian cruise missiles which were launched from ten strategic bombers.

"The Russian invaders attacked Ukraine with Kh-101/Kh-555/Kh-55 air-based cruise missiles. The total number of missiles reported was 43 cruise missiles fired from the strategic bomber aircraft T-95MS from the area west of Engels," the air force said.

It added: "Missiles were launched in several waves. They entered the airspace of Ukraine from different directions, constantly changing their course along the route."

Despite these claims, photos that surfaced online showed several hits. In addition, power was lost after the strikes in Kiev, Kharkov and Rivne.

Ukraine stepped up attacks on Russian territory in recent weeks in an attempt to make up for the failure of its counteroffensive. While some of these attacks resulted in losses, they ultimately failed to distract the Russian military or mount any real pressure on Moscow.

MORE ON THIS TOPIC:

• Explosion Damaged Bulk Carrier In The Black Sea
• Storm Shadow Missiles Targeted Crimea For The Second Day In A Row

The post Strikes Hit Ukraine After Large-Scale Drone Attack On Russia (Photos) appeared first on South Front.

4. President Assad Arrives In China On First Visit Since Start of War in Syria

]Syria's President Bashar al-Assad and his wife Asma are welcomed upon their arrival at Hangzhou airport in China. Source: the Syrian Presidency Office.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad arrived in China on September 21 on his first visit to the country since the outbreak of the war in Syria more than 12 years ago.

Assad arrived in China's eastern city of Hangzhou aboard an Air China plane amid heavy fog, which Chinese state media said "added to the atmosphere of mystery"

He is set to attend the opening ceremony of the Asian Games, along with more than a dozen foreign dignitaries, before leading a delegation for a series of meetings in several Chinese cities, including a summit with President Xi Jinping.

The Syrian President's last and only visit to China was in 2004, a year after the United States-led invasion of neighboring Iraq and at a time when Washington was putting pressure on Damascus. It was the first visit by a Syrian head of state to China since diplomatic ties were established in 1956.

China maintains relations with Syria during the war. The country, along with Russia, has repeatedly exercised its permanent veto power on the United Nations Security Council to block resolutions imposing sanctions or allowing the use of military power against the Syrian government.

In 2016, the Chinese military agreed to support Syrian government forces with training and humanitarian assistance, according to China's state-run Xinhua News Agency. Syria and China also share intelligence because of China's fears of radicalized Muslim Uyghurs from China fighting in Syria.

China is expected to play a major role in the future in Syria's reconstruction. Last year, Damascus joined the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative in which Beijing expands its influence in developing regions through infrastructure projects.

Assad made several important visits this year. In March, he visited Russia for several days and met with President Vladimir Putin. Later in May, he traveled to Saudi Arabia for the first time since the war began after Riyadh led a regional diplomatic push to have Syria reintegrated into the Arab League.

MORE ON THIS TOPIC:

• ISIS Cells Attack Patrol, Kill Three Pro-Government Fighters In Central Syria
• Syrian Army, Security Forces Launch Operation Against NDF Mutineers In Al-Hasakah (Videos)

The post President Assad Arrives In China On First Visit Since Start of War in Syria appeared first on South Front.

5. Military Situation In Southern Ukraine On September 20, 2023 (Map Update)

Click to see full-size image

• Russian artillery destroyed a command post of the AFU near Ugledar;
• Russian artillery destroyed Ukrainian positions near Novomikhailovka;
• The Russian Army repelled attacks of the 71st Jaeger Brigade of the AFU near Verbovoe;
• The Russian Army repelled attacks of the 116th Mechanized Brigade of the AFU near Charivnoye;
• The Russian Army repelled attacks of the AFU the 110th Territorial Defence Brigade near Priyutnoye;
• The Russian Army repelled Ukrainian attacks near Staromayorskoye;
• The Russian Army repelled Ukrainian attacks near Rabotino and Verbovoye;
• Russian forces destroyed 35 Ukrainian servicemen, 2 armored vehicles, 2 motor vehicles, 1 M109 Paladin howitzer, 1 Akatsiya artillery system, 3 howitzers in the Zaporozhye region;
• Russian forces destroyed 60 Ukrainian servicemen, 1 armored vehicle, 4 motor vehicles, 2 M777 artillery systems, 1 D-30 howitzer in the Kherson region.

• Military Situation In Donbass On September 20, 2023 (Map Update)
• Military Situation In Ukraine On September 20, 2023 (Map Update)

The post Military Situation In Southern Ukraine On September 20, 2023 (Map Update) appeared first on South Front.

6. Explosion Damaged Bulk Carrier In The Black Sea

Click to see full-size image

On September 20, an explosion thundered on the bulk carrier "Seama" in the Black Sea. The vessel sailed under the flag of Togo. It was transporting a cargo of cement from Turkey to the Ukrainian port of Izmail.

The explosion reportedly thundered in the area of the maritime border between Romania and Ukraine. As a result of the incident, the ship's engine room was flooded. The crew was evacuated. Two sailors were wounded.

It is still unclear what caused the explosion on board. The investigation of this incident will be carried out jointly by Romanian and Ukrainian specialists. A military minesweeper, as well as a helicopter and a group of divers were sent to the scene of the incident to investigate and assess the extent of damage.

The causes of the incident are yet to be revealed but most likely the explosion was caused by another Ukrainian naval mine drifting in the Black Sea.

• Ukrainian Mine Interrupted Maritime Traffic In Bosphorus (Video)
• Ukrainian Sea Mines Continue Exploding On Black Sea Shores, Threatening Civilians In Different Countries

The post Explosion Damaged Bulk Carrier In The Black Sea appeared first on South Front.

7. Military Situation In Donbass On September 20, 2023 (Map Update)

Click to see full-size image

• On September 20, Ukrainian artillery shelling killed a woman and wounded two other civilians in Donetsk;
• Russian artillery destroyed a command post of the AFU near Ugledar;
• Russian artillery destroyed AFU positions near Novomikhailovka;
• Russian artillery struck AFU positions near Torskoye;
• The Russian Army repelled Ukrainian attacks near Dibrova;
• The Russian Army repelled Ukrainian attacks near Urozhaine;
• Clashes between the AFU and Russian forces continue in Kleshcheevka and Andreevka;
• Russian forces killed and wounded 70 Ukrainian servicemen and destroyed 2 armored vehicles, 2 pickups, 2 D-30 howitzers in the Krasny Liman area;
• Russian forces destroyed 175 Ukrainian servicemen, 1 tank, 1 armored vehicle, 3 pickups, 1 M777 and 1 Krab artillery systems in the Donetsk area;
• Russian forces killed and wounded 135 Ukrainian servicemen and destroyed 2 pickups, 1 Msta-B howitzer in South Donetsk area;
• Russian forces destroyed 35 Ukrainian servicemen, 2 armored vehicles, 2 motor vehicles, 1 M109 Paladin howitzer, 1 Akatsiya artillery system, 3 howitzers in the Zaporozhye region.

• Military Situation In Ukraine On September 20, 2023 (Map Update)
• Military Situation In Southern Ukraine On September 19, 2023 (Map Update)

The post Military Situation In Donbass On September 20, 2023 (Map Update) appeared first on South Front.

8. Military Situation In Ukraine On September 20, 2023 (Map Update)

Click to see full-size image

• Explosions thundered in the Sumy region;
• Explosions thundered in the Kiev region;
• Explosions thundered in the part of the Zaporozhie region which is under the AFU control;
• Explosions thundered in the Poltava region;
• Two Ukrainian UAVs were shot down near Sevastopol;
• 8 Starom Shadow missiles targeted Crimea. Five of them were shot down near the Cape Tarkhankut and Belbek airfield near Sevastopol. Three reportedly fell near Verhnesadovoe;
• Unidentified UAV struck an oil depot near Sochi;
• Ukrainian artillery shelled at least 9 border settlements in the Belgorod region. As a result, one civilian was killed, two others were wounded;
• Explosion thundered at a ship near the Danube mouth in the Romanian waters. It was reportedly damaged by Ukrainian naval mine;
• Russian artillery destroyed a command post of the AFU near Ugledar;
• Russian artillery destroyed an ammo depot of AFU near Gatishche;
• The Russian Army destroyed four sabotage and reconnaissance groups of the AFU special operations forces near Kazatskoye and the islands of Alyoshkinsky and Pereyaslavskyi;
• The Russian Army repelled Ukrainian attacks near Priyutnoye;
• The Russian Army repelled attacks of the AFU 71st Jaeger Brigade near Verbovoye;
• Clashes between the AFU and Russian forces continue in Kleshcheevka and Andreevka;
• Russian forces destroyed 65 Ukrainian servicemen, 2 motor vehicles, M1097 Avenger missile system, 1 Paladin howitzer, 2 M777 artillery systems, 1 D-20 howitzer in the Kupyansk area;
• Russian forces killed and wounded 70 Ukrainian servicemen and destroyed 2 armored vehicles, 2 pickups, 2 D-30 howitzers in the Krasny Liman area;
• Russian forces destroyed 175 Ukrainian servicemen, 1 tank, 1 armored vehicle, 3 pickups, 1 M777 and 1 Krab artillery systems in the Donetsk area;
• Russian forces killed and wounded 135 Ukrainian servicemen and destroyed 2 pickups, 1 Msta-B howitzer in South Donetsk area;
• Russian forces destroyed 35 Ukrainian servicemen, 2 armored vehicles, 2 motor vehicles, 1 M109 Paladin howitzer, 1 Akatsiya artillery system, 3 howitzers in the Zaporozhye region;
• Russian forces destroyed 60 Ukrainian servicemen, 1 armored vehicle, 4 motor vehicles, 2 M777 artillery systems, 1 D-30 howitzer in the Kherson region;
• Russian air defense systems shot down 42 Ukrainian drones over the past day;
• Russian air defense systems shot down 4 Storm Shadow cruise missiles and 5 HIMARS and Smerch MLRS projectiles over the past day;
• Russian Lancet UAV destroyed Ukrainian MiG-29 at the Dolgintsevo airfield.

• Military Situation In Southern Ukraine On September 19, 2023 (Map Update)
• Military Situation In Ukraine On September 19, 2023 (Map Update)

The post Military Situation In Ukraine On September 20, 2023 (Map Update) appeared first on South Front.

9. Azerbaijani Strategy In Rapid War For Nagorno-Karabakh

DEAR FRIENDS. IF YOU LIKE THIS TYPE OF CONTENT, SUPPORT SOUTHFRONT WORK :

MONERO (XMR): 86yfEHs6pkoDEKCxc6MAnQX8cVHmzhYxMVrNuwKgNmqpWK8dDxjgGnK8PtUNJMACbn6xEGxmRauNTHJhUJpg9Mwz8htBBND

BITCOIN (BTC): bc1qgu58lfszcpqu6fd8l98m378wgzugyg9y93lcym
BITCOIN CASH (BCH): qr28d80s5juzv2793k5jrq59xrl5fxd8qg9h3zlkk2

PAYPAL, WESTERN UNION etc: write to info@southfront.org , southfront90@list.ru

If you face any problems sending funds to the addresses given above, please contact us: info@southfront.org and southfront@list.ru. Also be aware that many email services such as Hotmail, Yahoo etc. may block correspondence from info@southfront.org and some others put it in spam.

If you want to support SouthFront but have no opportunity to do it via cryptocurrency, please contact us: info@southfront.org and southfront@list.ru.

Azerbaijan launched a "local anti-terrorist operation" in Nagorno-Karabakh the main goal of which is the destruction of the military infrastructure of the illegitimate regime in the region.

In a day, the authorities of the unrecognized Republic of Artsakh, abandoned by Yerevan, surrendered.  The parties reached an agreement on a complete cessation of hostilities through the mediation of the command of the Russian peacekeeping contingent.

The Azerbaijani operation began with massive strikes and artillery shelling on military infrastructure, air defense and electronic warfare systems. Some damage to civilian infrastructure was also reported.

The goal of the first stage was to destroy the main part of the rear positions and areas of concentration of the air defense of the Artsakh army.

Applying the experience of the 2020 conflict, Baku massively used drones, in particular, Israeli Harop kamikaze drones, as well as Turkish Bayraktar TB2, whose reputation has suffered significantly after their use by the Ukrainian army. In 2020, Azerbaijan for the first time used in combat Israeli-made LORA quasi-ballistic missile. Its deployment was also reported in the current conflict.

According to the Azerbaijani MoD, the first day of the military operation resulted in destruction of more than 20 combat vehicles, more than 40 artillery installations, more than 30 mortars, 2 anti-aircraft missile systems in Karabakh.

Amid strikes on the rear areas, the Azerbaijani troops launched ground operations in various directions.

Baku engaged significant ground forces for an offensive in the direction of key settlements, Shusha in the south-west, Martuni in the south-east, Getavan in the north-west and Aghdam in the west.

The greatest progress was achieved in the northeast, where they reportedly captured Charektar and Getavan. In the east, they took control of Agdam. According to unconfirmed reports, Agdere also came under Azerbaijani control.

The Azerbaijani military also reportedly seized the Kashen copper-molybdenum deposit, which was previously sold to the British Anglo Asian Mining company.

Baku has formed three large groupings of troops of up to an army corps each. They successfully applyed the 'pincer' tactics in order to cut off the Artsakh military from the supplies from the center as soon as possible.

As a result of the conflict in 2020, Azerbaijan also deployed its brigades on a permanent basis in the Kelbajar and Lachin regions. In the current escalation, they were aimed to block the main roads and to contain Artsakh forces in battles.

Amid the rapid advance of Azerbaijani troops, Stepanakert clearly understood its impotence to resist on its own. The Artsakh army has neither large stocks of weapons nor ways to supply them. Armenia refused to engage in hostilities but even in the event of a coup in Yerevan, and a decision to enter into the conflict, they had no more time to deploy the necessary forces.

The post Azerbaijani Strategy In Rapid War For Nagorno-Karabakh appeared first on South Front.

10. Storm Shadow Missiles Targeted Crimea For The Second Day In A Row

Click to see full-size image

At about midday on September 20, the Ukrainian military launched another missile attack on Crimea. The peninsula was reportedly targeted with eight Storm Shadow missiles.

According to unofficial reports, the attack was launched by 11 Ukrainian Su-24M bombers which took off from the Starokostantinov airfield in the Khmelnitsky region. Five aircraft were carrying the Storm Shadow missiles. The strikes were launched from the Odessa region.

Together with Storm Shadow missiles, Ukrainian forces reportedly fired three AGM-160 MALD decoy missiles to mislead Russian air defense systems. The operation  was monitored by Ukrainian UAVs near Crimea. On the same day, the Russian authorities declared that two UAVs were shot down near Sevastopol.

Click to see full-size image

The Pantsir-S1 air defence system of the 31st Air Force and Air Defense division shot down five cruise missiles over the Cape Tarkhankut and Belbek airfield. Three others fell in the area of Verkhnesadovoye located to the east of the city. The target was probably a former military facility near the village. The local sources reported fire in the fields nin the area. No damage to any military facilities was confirmed.

This is the second attack by Storm Shadow missiles on the Crimean peninsula over the past days. On the morning of September 19, the Ukrainian military attempted another attack on the Crimean Bridge. This time, the target was the Crimean Bridge. For missiles were shot down near Melitopol and Genichesk in the Zaporozhie region.

• Russia Shot Down Four Storm Shadow Missiles On Their Way To Crimean Bridge
• Ukrainian Drone Strikes And Landing Operation Targeted Crimea, Prompting Russian Response
• Russian Army Thwarts Drone Attacks On Crimea, Moscow & Voronezh

The post Storm Shadow Missiles Targeted Crimea For The Second Day In A Row appeared first on South Front.