This is an account of engagements which occurred during the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, primarily based on announcements from the belligerents. The war has been characterized by the use of armoured warfare; drone warfare, especially the use of Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 and Israeli loitering munition Harop drones; heavy artillery; rocket attacks; and trench warfare. It has also featured the deployment of cluster munitions, which are banned by the majority of the international community but not by Armenia or Azerbaijan: Azerbaijan states that Armenia has deployed cluster munitions against civilians, and international third parties have confirmed evidence of Azerbaijan's use of cluster munitions against civilian areas of Nagorno-Karabakh. A series of ballistic missile attacks have inflicted mass civilian casualties in Ganja, Azerbaijan, while civilian residences and infrastructure in Stepanakert, and elsewhere have been targeted, inflicting casualties and causing extensive damage.
The conflict is also marked by extensive social media campaigning - some of which is alleged to be "inauthentic" - and widespread misinformation, exacerbated by the low number of journalists that have access to the frontline. This phenomenon has been characterized as an information war concurrent to the physical battles on the ground. Facebook has claimed to have removed a number of Facebook and Instagram accounts and pages that were involved in "co-ordinated inauthentic behavior".
The amount of territory contested is relatively restricted, but the war has expanded beyond the borders of Nagorno-Karabakh due to the level of conflict and kind of munitions deployed and spilled over international borders. Shells and rockets have landed in East Azerbaijan Province in Iran, although causing no damage, and Iran has reported several unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) downed or crashed within its territory, while Georgia stated that two UAVs had crashed in Kakheti Province.
After the shelling of Khojavend, Artsakh authorities began mobilizing civilians. Just before 04:00 (00:00 GMT) on 10 October, Russia reported that both Armenia and Azerbaijan had agreed on a humanitarian ceasefire after ten hours of talks in Moscow (the Moscow Statement) and announced that both would enter "substantive" talks. Fighting continued: a second ceasefire attempt midnight 17 October was also ignored, followed by a third ceasefire attempt failing on 26 October.
A ceasefire agreement was signed by the governments of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia on 9 November 2020, bringing the conflict to a close.
September
27 September
According to Artsakh authorities, hostilities commenced when at 08:03 Azerbaijani armed forces launched artillery and aerial strikes against civilian settlements, including the capital, Stepanakert. The Armenian Ministry of Defence (MoD) stated that the Azerbaijani offensive, aimed at Stepanakert, began at 08:10 local time (04:10 GMT). Azerbaijani authorities stated that at about 06:00 local time, Armenian armed forces started intensive shelling of Azerbaijani army positions along the entire front and of nearby Azerbaijani settlements. Azerbaijan thus stated that it launched a counteroffensive. In the offensive, Azerbaijan stated it deployed manpower, tank and rocket artillery units, aircraft and UAVs. The Republic of Artsakh introduced martial law and total mobilization of its male population, while the Azerbaijani President addressed the nation.
In the afternoon, Azerbaijan announced martial law and a curfew. The Azerbaijani military deployed tanks, artillery, missile systems and aircraft near the front and entered deeper into Nagorno-Karabakh. According to the Armenian MoD, in the morning Azerbaijani armed forces also attacked in the direction of Vardenis in Armenia proper. The Azerbaijani MoD stated it had taken seven villages in Nagorno-Karabakh. At 16:29, Azerbaijan issued a surrender ultimatum to the Armenian command in the zone, while affirming its compliance with international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions. In the afternoon, the Azerbaijani MoD stated it had taken a mountain peak in the Murovdag range. The Ministry also stated that its forces had taken effective control of the Vardenis–Martakert/Aghdara highway connecting Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia.