The Armenian Defense Ministry insisted on Tuesday that it does not have military personnel or equipment in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
In a brief statement from the ministry, the Armenian government stressed that the allegations raised by the Azerbaijani government and the mass media "continue to disseminate false statements as if there are Armed Forces units of the Republic of Armenia" in the region. At the same time, the Armenian Foreign Affairs Ministry labeled Baku's actions as a step taken prior to an "ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh and […] a new military escalation."
Meanwhile, Russia expressed concern over the sharp escalation of the situation.
