This investigation was conducted jointly with Umut 2020, a new Kyrgyz popular movement focused on investigating corruption. You can watch their video of the report at the bottom of this post (Russian). On November 10th, the businessman Aierken Saimaiti, who had an arrest warrant international arrest warrant issued after fraud allegations, was shot dead in…
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the three former republics of the Caucasus, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, failed to demarcate and delimit their borders. This failure has resulted in regular incidents across the fringes of each nation’s respective territory. The well-publicized border disputes between Armenian and Azerbaijan are complex in nature, and the two…
Recent satellite imagery from Planet Labs shows ongoing engineering works by the Azerbaijani armed forces on the Nakhichevan border into what was once considered neutral territory. Azerbaijani attempts to sidle up closer to the Armenian frontline since the 1994 ceasefire have primarily taken place on the Nagorno-Karabakh border, reducing the point of contact to fewer…
This article also appeared in Razm.info On June 26, 2011, for the first time, Azerbaijan demonstrated its S-300PMU2 Favorit SAM systems in a military parade held in the capital Baku. During the military parade, three 5P85TE2 TELs (Transporter Erector Launcher), two 5T58 missile transporters, and one 30N6E2 Illumination guidance radar were demonstrated. According to the…
The peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan was severely weakened due to the April 2016 four-day war, with further complications due to Azerbaijan asserting its military prowess through a build-up in its exclave of Nakhichevan. This military build-up in Nakhichevan has led to Armenia becoming a more hesitant partner in the OSCE mediation efforts. Additionally,…
This post was originally by Bellingcat for Planet Stories. Examining imagery of the recent incident in Azerbaijan By Masis Ingilizian and Karen Vrtanesyan On Sunday, August 27, 2017, multiple explosions rocked the Azerbaijani munitions depot, called Gilyazi. Azerbaijani officials downplayed the incident, saying that the ammunition collected in the depot had been meant to be disposed, and some media…
The Red line illustrates the distance between the demarcation line and the newly seized post of Lele Tepe, a distance of approximately 1 km. On April 2nd, reports began to flood in from the Northern villages of Karabagh regarding a major Azerbaijani offensive on their territory. By April 3rd, Azerbaijan’s President Aliyev openly admitted that…
Since the installation of two S300PMU2 in Azerbaijan, photos and imagery have confirmed reports of the operational capability and combat readiness of the S300PMU-2 systems. Sean O’Connor spotted the systems in late 2012. Detailed ongoing coverage by IMINT Analysis of the increasing possibility of the resumption of conflict in Nagorno Karabagh has included updates on these systems, including the above imagery and its location. Bellingcat has continued with the Caucasus updates, drawing on the contribution of experts from IMINT Analysis.
US interests in the Caspian Sea are part of the larger framework of US geo-strategic interests in the Eurasian region. US proxies such as Israel provide support, technical advice and military equipment to the Azerbaijani navy. Both US and Israeli interests against Iranian and Russian influence in the Caspian Sea have aided Azerbaijan in its…
The border of Nagorno Karabagh, one of the most militarized borders in Europe, attracts attention from think tanks, European organizations and major powers. The frontline between Armenia and Azerbaijan replicates WW1 style trenches and its distance between the two opposing trenches in certain sections are a mere 500 metres in distance. Azerbaijan’s official rhetoric has…
