Armenuan Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Thursday, August 31 that Azerbaijan, in the presence of the Russian peacekeeping contingent, continues the policy of the genocide of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh through famine.

"The main goal is to rid the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh from the Armenians," Pashinyan told a Cabinet meeting.

"As I said earlier, one of the scenarios for the implementation of this monstrous plan is as follows: Azerbaijan is planning at the most acute stage of the humanitarian crisis to unilaterally open a corridor, allow people to leave Nagorno-Karabakh and prevent entry. This policy of genocide and deportation is taking place in the 21st century in front of the eyes of the international community."

Pashinyan's remarks came after the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova declared that the deepening humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh caused by Azerbaijan’s blockade of the Lachin corridor was made possible by Pashinian’s decision to recognize Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan. According to her, placing the blame in this context on the Russian peacekeeping contingent is "inappropriate, wrong and unjustified".

Since December 12, 2022, the sole road connecting Nagorno Karabakh to Armenia - the Lachin Corridor - has been blocked by Azerbaijan. Baku tightened the blockade on June 15, 2023, banning emergency relief supplies that were carried out by Russian peacekeepers and the International Committee of the Red Cross through the sole road connecting Karabakh to Armenia and the outside world. The move aggravated the shortages of food, medicine and other essential items experienced by the region’s population. On August 15, Karabakh Human Rights Defender’s office reported the first case of death from starvation.