Azerbaijan marks the sixth anniversary of its victory in the Patriotic War today.
According to Report, Victory Day was established on December 3, 2020, by an order of Azerbaijani President and Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ilham Aliyev.
On September 27, 2020, in response to another Armenian provocation, the Azerbaijani Army launched a counteroffensive to liberate the country's territories from occupation, compel Armenia to make peace, ensure the implementation of UN Security Council resolutions that had remained unfulfilled for years, enable internally displaced persons to return to their homes and restore historical justice. The Azerbaijani people united in solidarity around a common goal.
In 44 days, the valiant Azerbaijani Army liberated five cities, four settlements and 286 villages from occupation. These included the city of Jabrayil and 90 villages in the district; the city of Fuzuli and 53 villages in the district; the city of Zangilan, the settlements of Minjivan, Aghband and Bartaz, and 52 villages in the district; the settlement of Hadrut and 35 villages in the Khojavand district; three villages in the Tartar district; the city of Gubadli and 41 villages in the district; nine villages in the Khojaly district; the city of Shusha; three villages in the Lachin district; strategic heights in the Aghdara and Murovdag directions; and the Bartaz, Sygyrt and Shukurataz heights, along with five other unnamed heights in Zangilan.
The Azerbaijani Army liberated the territories that had been under occupation for nearly 30 years, advancing metre by metre and overcoming defensive fortifications built by the enemy over many years. It also dispelled the myth of the invincibility of the Armenian army. The enemy fled the battlefield in disarray, abandoning weapons and military equipment.
The liberation of Shusha proved decisive in determining the outcome of the war. Armenia capitulated and signed an agreement under which the Kalbajar, Aghdam and Lachin districts were returned to Azerbaijan.
This historic victory marked a triumph of the strength of the Azerbaijani people and a culmination of the country's national pride.
On the night of November 9-10, 2020, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a trilateral statement on a complete ceasefire and the cessation of all hostilities.
Thus, the Garabagh conflict came to an end. In essence, the statement amounted to Armenia's capitulation, as it had been unable to offer any meaningful resistance to the might of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces.