The Kremlin calls on all sides to exercise maximum restraint in connection with the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, the press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
"At the moment, we call on all parties, first of all, the parties to the conflict to exercise maximum restraint, to abandon military methods, and also to abandon any steps that may provoke further undesirable aggravation of the situation, which is already at the stage of an essentially military clash," Peskov said.
According to Peskov, the Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold a telephone conversation with the Azerbaijani leadership if necessary.
"If necessary, they [contacts with the Azerbaijani leadership] will, of course, take place," the Kremlin representative said, answering a question about a possible conversation between Putin and the Azerbaijani side, since the Russian President had a telephone conversation with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan earlier on Sunday.
At the same time, Peskov drew attention to the fact that "from the very first hours after the resumption of hostilities, the Minister [of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey] Lavrov was in constant contact with his colleagues."
On September 27, Baku announced intensive shelling of the positions of the Azerbaijani army by Armenia. In turn, Yerevan announced the offensive of the Azerbaijani armed forces in the direction of Nagorno-Karabakh and the shelling of settlements of the unrecognized Republic, including its administrative center Stepanakert. Both sides reported dead and wounded, including among the civilian population. The Armenian authorities imposed martial law and announced the mobilization of reservists. Azerbaijan also decided to impose martial law on the entire territory of the country.
Baku and Yerevan have disputed the ownership of Nagorno-Karabakh since February 1988, when the region declared secession from the Azerbaijan SSR. During the 1992-1994 armed conflict, Azerbaijan lost control over Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding areas.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: official website of President of Russian Federation
Based materials TASS