32 years ago, the biggest and most brutal bloodshed occurred during the First Karabakh War (February 20, 1988 – May 14, 1994). The small Azerbaijani town of Khojaly played a strategic role. The city was only ten kilometres from the so-called capital of the separatist enclave of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, Stepanakyert. Conveniently located on a mountain range and at the intersection of important transport arteries. Here was the only airport in Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) capable of receiving large aircraft.
The Soviet authorities deliberately created inter-ethnic conflicts in the occupied territories of the so-called Soviet republics. The occupying Soviet troops, who remained under the guise of “peacekeepers” – the 336th motorized rifle regiment of the former Union, played an exceptionally sinister role.
After the beginning of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, the city became a haven for refugees from the rebellious region: Azerbaijanis and Meskhetian Turks, who were fleeing pogroms in Fergana (Uzbekistan). The city’s population has almost tripled.
Given its strategic importance, Khojaly was practically blocked by Armenian armed forces from the fall of 1991. Since January 1992, the supply of electricity to the city was stopped, and the telephone connection, electricity, heating, and tap water disappeared. On February 13, 1992, they were able to make the last evacuation flight by helicopter from the city.
They could not leave the besieged city and there remained at the time of the tragedy from two to four thousand residents.
Throughout the winter of 1991-1992, Khojaly was under constant artillery shelling, as a result of which civilian objects were destroyed and civilians died.
On the night of February 25-26, after intensive artillery fire, the assault on the city by infantry groups began. By seven in the morning, the last defenders of the city were destroyed.
During the assault, part of the population tried to get out of the city, but artillery fire was opened on them near the village of Nakhichevanyk. The shelling was carried out by Armenian formations and servicemen of the 336th CIS regiment.
According to the investigation carried out by the Azerbaijani parliament, 485 people died (including those who froze to death on the way) as a result of this tragedy.
More than a thousand residents of Khojaly were captured. 63 children, 106 women and 70 elderly men died, eight families were completely destroyed, 25 children became orphans and another 130 children lost one of their parents. Almost half a thousand (487) were injured, including 76 children. 1,275 people were taken hostage, and 150 were missing.
The so-called Verkhovna Rada of the NKR expressed regret about the brutality during the capture of Khojaly, but there were no attempts to investigate the crimes.
These events could not have taken place without the tacit consent of Moscow and the active participation of its 336th motorized rifle regiment, which used artillery and mortar shelling of Azerbaijani territories. There is a lot of evidence that it was the military equipment of the 336th regiment that played a fatal role in the assault on Khojaly, providing fire support to the offensive Armenian units. According to the testimony of one of the officers, the third motorized rifle battalion took a direct part in the destruction of the city of Khojaly. Witnesses of the Khojaly tragedy later said that they heard mostly Russian, commands were given in Russian and they saw Russian tanks and BMPs.
To hide their participation in the crime on March 2, 1992, the entire personnel of the 336th regiment was transported to the city of Vaziani (Georgia). Already eight days later, on 10 March by order of the Commander-in-Chief of the CIS, the 336th regiment was disbanded. All armoured vehicles – more than a hundred BMPs, up to 10 tanks – were left to the Armenians.
The 336th regiment became vivid evidence of the presence of Soviet, and now Russian, pseudo-peacekeepers in conflict zones.
Although 32 years have passed since the Khojaly tragedy, these events have not received any adequate international political and legal assessment. The perpetrators of the tragedy, its initiators, instigators and executors have not been brought to justice. This means that such crimes can be repeated anywhere and anytime where there are Russian troops.
