On May 9, Azerbaijan, along with many other countries, commemorates the victory over Germany in World War II. However, Azerbaijan now has its own Victory Day on the calendar — November 8. And this changes the interpretation of May 9 as well — it brings a different understanding of continuity, a different sense of victory, and a clearer sense of Azerbaijan’s rightful place among the victors of that war. Finally, it reflects the nation’s own right to call itself a victor, something felt especially strongly against the backdrop of Armenia’s now infamous attempts to mark May 9 not so much as a victory over Germany, but as the anniversary of the occupation of the city of Shusha and its so-called “victory” in Karabakh — a victory that turned out to be temporary.
Indeed, those who argue that the 44-day Patriotic War in 2020 and the anti-terrorist operations of 2023 were the decisive final chapters are correct. But the road to victory in Karabakh began much earlier. There are different opinions on what pre-war event should be considered the turning point. Some point to the April clashes of 2016; others to Armenia’s provocative military exercises in then-occupied Karabakh, the downing of an Armenian helicopter, and the famous “Vur, komandir, vur!” (“Fire, commander, fire!”) in 2014…
But there is another important date — May 9, 2011 — when Azerbaijan achieved a different kind of victory in the skies over Karabakh.
To recall: in February 1992, Armenia, having seized Khojaly, also took control of the only airport in Karabakh. But during the final assault on Khojaly, a small Azerbaijani unit led by Alif Hajiyev managed to blow up the airport’s control tower. As a result, the Armenian occupiers were unable to immediately make use of the facility.
After the ceasefire agreement was signed, Armenia began speaking of “restoring the Stepanakert airport” and planned to begin regular flights to Armenia in 2011. Then-President Serzh Sargsyan solemnly declared he would take the “first flight” to “Stepanakert” on May 9, 2011. But…
Karabakh was still under Armenian occupation, there were still nine years left until the Patriotic War and twelve until the anti-terrorist operations and the dismantling of the occupation junta — yet Azerbaijan already controlled the skies over Karabakh. And not just nominally. Our country, under President Ilham Aliyev, had the political will to warn everyone: Azerbaijan would not allow unauthorized flights in its airspace. Any violation would be dealt with accordingly: establishing contact, attempting forced landing, and if that failed — shooting down the aircraft. And as a result, on May 9, 2011, the “first flight” never happened, and Sargsyan began pretending he had never made such a promise and had been misunderstood. Azerbaijan had already won the battle for the skies over Karabakh — thanks to resolve and political will. As it turned out, President Ilham Aliyev prioritizes the national interests of Azerbaijan over applause from the international community.
This story takes on new relevance today, as Russia has officially announced the start of flights to the city of Sukhumi in Georgia’s occupied Abkhazia. Regular flights were scheduled to begin on May 6. Although many were canceled due to chaos in Russian airports, this brings little comfort.
There is much to reflect on. First of all, as the Kremlin’s decision shows, Moscow has no intention of respecting recognized borders — neither on land nor in the air. Moreover, once again, the expectations of those who believed Moscow would take a “step back” on territorial issues due to the current Georgian government’s rift with the West have been dashed. As recent events show, it did not and will not.
But most importantly, the European Union has once again embarrassed itself. The very EU that supposedly condemned Russia’s decision to resume air traffic did so only with words. Moscow, not without sarcasm, labeled the EU statement “toothless.” Crucially, there were no warnings that unauthorized flights in Georgian airspace would not be tolerated. In the post-Soviet space, Azerbaijan’s resolve and principled stance on restoring its territorial integrity remains the exception rather than the rule. And most importantly, as our country’s experience shows, states affected by such conflicts must resolve these issues themselves — without relying too much on external support.
Nurani
Translated from minval.az
