Kremlin: Russia's CSTO obligations don't apply to Karabakh

PanARMENIAN.Net - Russia's obligations under the Collective Security Treaty Organization do not apply to Nagorno-Karabakh, the press secretary of the Russian president Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday, October 7.

He noted that Russia has obligations to Yerevan as a member of the CSTO in terms of ensuring Armenia's security.

"If a CSTO member country is attacked, the member states of the organization have an obligation to defend that country," Peskov told reporters.

Peskov also denied information that the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh had spread to the territory of Armenia.

The Kremlin spokesman's comments came after Russian President Vladimir Putin reaffirmed the country's commitment to obligations within the CSTO.

Azerbaijan, with help from Turkey, launched a large-scale offensive against Karabakh (Artsakh) in the morning of September 27, shelling Armenian positions and civilian settlements with large caliber weapons and rocket systems. Armenia and Karabakh have introduced martial law and total mobilization. The Armenian side has reported deaths and injuries both among the civilian population and the military. International and local journalists too have been injured in Azeri shelling of towns and villages.

Donations can be made to Hayastan All-Armenian Fund, which has launched a fundraising campaign to support Karabakh amid Azerbaijan's aggression.