Two years of victory: "Karabakh is Azerbaijan!"

Today Azerbaijan celebrates November 8 - Victory Day. According to the decree of President Ilham Aliyev "On the establishment of Victory Day in the Republic of Azerbaijan" signed on December 3, 2020, November 8 is celebrated as Victory Day in Azerbaijan.

On September 27, 2020, in response to the large-scale provocation of the Armenian armed forces on the frontline, the Azerbaijani Army launched a counter-offensive operation, later called the "Iron Fist". The 44-day Second Karabakh War, which erupted as a result, put an end to nearly thirty years of occupation of Azerbaijani territories and the restoration of the country's territorial integrity.

The liberation of Shusha, the pearl of Karabakh, dear to every Azerbaijani, on November 8, played a decisive role in the fate of the war, leading to the defeat of the Armenia's political and military leadership and the cessation of hostilities.

The operation to liberate Shusha from occupation will go down in history forever. Shusha, the crown and beating heart of Karabakh, was a natural fortification, so it was impossible to enter the city with tanks or other heavy weapons. There were two options to return it. In the first case, the Armenian armed forces in the city could be destroyed by air strikes and artillery fire. The command did not go for it. Because the bombing of the city would cause great destruction. Therefore, hand-to-hand combat tactics were chosen as an alternative. Azerbaijani heroic soldiers and officers crossed the thick forests, rocks and mountains with light weapons and destroyed the Armenian army in a face-to-face battle.

Taking into account the historical significance of the city of Shusha and its liberation from occupation, this unprecedented victory - Victory Day, which has become a celebration of the determination and strength of Azerbaijani people and is of exceptional importance for the future development and prestige of Azerbaijan.

On November 10, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan and President of Russia Vladimir Putin signed a trilateral statement on a complete ceasefire of all military operations in the conflict zone. According to the statement, Agdam was liberated on November 20, Kalbajar on November 25, and Lachin on December 1 without a single shot being fired and no more soldiers being killed. The statement also announced the construction of new transport communications connecting the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic and the western regions of Azerbaijan. Thus, Azerbaijan's military victory forced Armenia to capitulate.