People gathered near the Stepanakert airport are demanding evacuation by helicopters and expecting better protection. [Artak Beglaryan]

🇪🇺 I deplore the renewed military escalation around the Karabakh region and its impact on civilians, especially on the most vulnerable.

Over the past years the local population has been suffering the humanitarian and human rights consequences of armed hostilities in the region. Since last December, in particular, they have been living in isolation, experiencing acute shortages of basic supplies and services. I am deeply concerned to see that their safety is once again threatened and their human rights violated, deepening their suffering.

[Dunja Mijatović, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights]

❗️The village Mets Shen is under siege, evacuation cannot be organized, David Davtyan, the head of the village Hin Shen, reports.

🗣️ "There is no truce in our area. They didn’t shell our village yet, but they are shelling our neighborhood. It was possible to carry out evacuation from Eghtsahogh, but we could not organize evacuation from our village. Women, elderly, children... everyone is here. Eghtsahogh no longer exists, it has been leveled to the ground, and there is no one there."

🇷🇺 According to him, the advantage of the neighboring Hin Shen is that there are Russian peacekeepers there․

🇷🇺 A car of Russian peacekeepers was bombed in Artsakh, as a result of which servicemen were killed, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reports.

According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, representatives of the investigative bodies of the Russian Federation and Azerbaijan are working on the spot to clarify all the circumstances of the incident.

🇷🇺 The Russian Federation recognizes that the situation in Karabakh is now an internal matter of Azerbaijan, the spokesperson of Russian President Dmitry Peskov said.

❗️ "Of course, Karabakh is an internal matter of Azerbaijan. So Azerbaijan operates on its territory, which is recognized by the Armenian leadership," Peskov added.

🗣️ Peskov said that the Kremlin does not yet see any grounds to talk about ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh. "And for this, there are direct contacts, during which we convey our possible concerns."

‼️At least 5 children have been killed and 13 wounded as a result of Azerbaijani shelling. [Artak Beglaryan]

🇦🇿 There are casualties on the Azerbaijani side, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev reports without publishing the number.

🇦🇿🇦🇲 Ilham Aliyev said that Armenia should be sure that Azerbaijan "doesn’t have eye on its land."

🗣️ "We recognize Armenia's territorial integrity," Aliyev said.

🇦🇲🇦🇿 Ilham Aliyev said that the Armenian leadership has shown "political competence" regarding the situation in Karabakh.

According to Aliyev, the position of the Armenian leadership on the situation in Karabakh gives hope for the conclusion of a peace treaty.

🇪🇺 In view of the military operation by Azerbaijan against Karabakh Armenians, I have decided to send EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia Toivo Klaar to the region. He will report back on the state of play. [Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy]

🇮🇹 The Italian Foreign Ministry offered to hold a meeting in Rome on the settlement of the situation in Artsakh.

🇦🇲🇦🇿 The Italian Foreign Minister met with the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan. According to him, both ministers expressed interest and willingness to meet in Rome.

‼️ Ilham Aliyev reiterated that "Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh are citizens of Azerbaijan" and that they do not accuse the Armenian people of "crimes of the Armenian criminal regime."

🗣️ "We have brought elements of the criminal regime to justice and we will continue," Aliyev said, adding that some have already received punishment, while others will later receive it.

‼️As of 21:30, September 20, according to the information collected by the Office of the Human Rights Defender, there are at least 200 deaths and more than 400 wounded persons.

The number of injured people among the civilian population exceeds 40 persons, among whom 13 are children. There are 10 confirmed civilian deaths at the moment, among whom 5 are children. [Human Rights Defender of Artsakh]

🇷🇺🇦🇲 During the telephone conversation initiated by the Armenian side, Putin noted with satisfaction that they had managed to overcome the acute phase of the conflict, and welcomed the agreement reached with the active participation of Russian peacekeepers on the complete cessation of hostilities and negotiations between representatives of Baku and Stepanakert on September 21.

🤝 Those negotiations will be mediated by the leadership of the Russian peacekeeping contingent. [Russian Foreign Ministry]

‼️ On September 20, at around 10:50 p.m., Azerbaijani Armed Forces units discharged fire from small arms against the Armenian combat outposts near Sotk (Gegharkunik Province). [RA MoD]

❗️ The Migration and Citizenship Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Armenia informs that interdepartmental discussions are underway regarding the organization of the possible entry of our compatriots from Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia. [RA MIA]

Russian peacekeepers evacuated 5000 people from three districts of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Video: Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation

The footage shows that David Melkumyan, a member of the Permanent Commission on Foreign Relations of Artsakh, went to the negotiations from the Artsakh side.

The Azerbaijani side will be represented in Yevlakh by MP Ramin Mammadov, whom Aliyev appointed responsible for contacts with the Armenian residents of the Karabakh region.

There is a smell of smoke everywhere in Stepanakert. No electricity. Mobile connection and the Internet are weak.

I was in the hospital this morning. It was absolutely horrible.

[Marut Vanyan]

🇬🇧 The UK notes the announcement of direct talks between representatives of Azerbaijan and the local Karabakhi Armenian community, on 21 September. These are essential to protect the security and needs of the local population.

🔸 It is only through diplomacy in line with the principles enshrined in the Helsinki Final Act that we will see a sustainable settlement to this conflict.

[Neil Holland, Head of the UK's Delegation to the OSCE]