Artsakh Blockade

Last updated: May 29, 2026

The Artsakh blockade began in December 2022 when Azerbaijani activists, later joined by military personnel, established a checkpoint on the Lachin Corridor , the only road connecting Nagorno Karabakh to Armenia. Over the following nine months, the blockade progressively tightened, cutting off gas, electricity, food deliveries, and medical evacuations. By the summer of 2023, the population of Artsakh was facing acute food shortages and a humanitarian emergency.

The blockade drew condemnation from Western governments and was the subject of proceedings at the International Court of Justice, which issued provisional measures ordering Azerbaijan to ensure free movement through the corridor. Those measures were not enforced. Russia’s peacekeeping contingent, which held a mandate to guarantee passage under the 2020 ceasefire, took no action to reopen the road. The United States and European Union issued statements but applied no meaningful pressure.

Azerbaijan’s military offensive on September 19, 2023 ended the blockade by ending the existence of Armenian Nagorno Karabakh entirely. Within three weeks, nearly the entire population of 150,000 Armenians had been driven from Artsakh to Armenia — what human rights organizations and international observers have characterized as ethnic cleansing. Groong covered the blockade in real time throughout its duration — the humanitarian conditions inside Artsakh, the diplomatic failures, and the eventual collapse.

Groong episodes that include this tag

Below are all Groong episodes tagged with Artsakh Blockade.

Aram Orbelyan: Artsakh Under Blockade - Day 33 [EP202]

Posted on Friday, Jan 13, 2023 | Category: Artsakh, Politics, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, Artsakh Blockade, Nagorno Karabakh, Genocide, Ukraine, Human Rights, Georgia, NATO, Iran, Syria | Series: cog, video

Guests:

  • Aram Orbelyan , international law specialist, who is an attorney and managing partner at Concern Dialog law firm, and PhD in Public international law. Mr. Orbelyan lectures at the Academy of Advocates of the Republic of Armenia, and lectured public international law at French University of Armenia. Mr. Orbelyan was Deputy Minister of Justice of Armenia between 2011 and 2014.

“The Armenian government, under its legislation, is obliged to protect the independence of Artsakh” - Aram Orbelyan

Topic:

As of earlier this week, Artsakh has introduced coupons to ration food. Other

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Aram Orbelyan: Artsakh Under Blockade - Day 33 [EP202]

Posted on Friday, Jan 13, 2023 | Category: Artsakh, Politics, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, Artsakh Blockade, Nagorno Karabakh, Genocide, Ukraine, Human Rights, Georgia, NATO, Iran, Syria

Guests:

  • Aram Orbelyan , international law specialist, who is an attorney and managing partner at Concern Dialog law firm, and PhD in Public international law. Mr. Orbelyan lectures at the Academy of Advocates of the Republic of Armenia, and lectured public international law at French University of Armenia. Mr. Orbelyan was Deputy Minister of Justice of Armenia between 2011 and 2014.

“The Armenian government, under its legislation, is obliged to protect the independence of Artsakh” - Aram Orbelyan

Topic:

As of earlier this week, Artsakh has introduced coupons to ration food. Other

 Read More

Artsakh Blockade Flash Update with Gev Iskajyan - Ep 203, Jan 13, 2023 [EP203]

Posted on Friday, Jan 13, 2023 | Category: Politics, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Artsakh Blockade, Genocide | Series: artsakhblockade

Artsakh Blockade Flash Update with Gev Iskajyan - Ep 203, Jan 13, 2023

Armenian News Network Groong - Jan 13, 2023

Guest:

Topics:

  • Internet Restored
  • Rolling Blackouts Continue
  • 33rd Day of #ArtsakhBlockade, and 33rd Anniversary of Baku & Sumgait Pogroms in Azerbaijan

Episode 203 | Recorded: January 13, 2023

Artsakh Blockade Flash Update with Gev Iskajyan - Ep 203, Jan 13, 2023 [EP203]

Posted on Friday, Jan 13, 2023 | Category: Politics, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Artsakh Blockade, Genocide

Artsakh Blockade Flash Update with Gev Iskajyan - Ep 203, Jan 13, 2023

Armenian News Network Groong - Jan 13, 2023

Guest:

Topics:

  • Internet Restored
  • Rolling Blackouts Continue
  • 33rd Day of #ArtsakhBlockade, and 33rd Anniversary of Baku & Sumgait Pogroms in Azerbaijan

Episode 203 | Recorded: January 13, 2023

Artsakh Blockade Flash Update with Gev Iskajyan - Ep 201, Jan 12, 2023 [EP201]

Posted on Thursday, Jan 12, 2023 | Category: Politics, Artsakh, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Nagorno Karabakh, Artsakh Blockade, Economy, Human Rights | Series: artsakhblockade

Artsakh Blockade Flash Update with Gev Iskajyan - Ep 201, Jan 12, 2023

Armenian News Network - Jan 12, 2023

Guest:

Topics:

  • Internet cutoff
  • Power situation and rolling blackouts
  • Psychological pressure on Artsakh
  • It’s going to get tougher…
  • Consequences of Internet cutoff
  • Psychological pressure on Artsakh

Episode 201 | Recorded: January 12, 2023

Artsakh Blockade Flash Update with Gev Iskajyan - Ep 201, Jan 12, 2023 [EP201]

Posted on Thursday, Jan 12, 2023 | Category: Politics, Artsakh, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Nagorno Karabakh, Artsakh Blockade, Economy, Human Rights

Artsakh Blockade Flash Update with Gev Iskajyan - Ep 201, Jan 12, 2023

Armenian News Network - Jan 12, 2023

Guest:

Topics:

  • Internet cutoff
  • Power situation and rolling blackouts
  • Psychological pressure on Artsakh
  • It’s going to get tougher…
  • Consequences of Internet cutoff
  • Psychological pressure on Artsakh

Episode 201 | Recorded: January 12, 2023

Artsakh Blockade Flash Update with Gev Iskajyan - Ep 200, Jan 11, 2023 [EP200]

Posted on Wednesday, Jan 11, 2023 | Category: Politics, Artsakh, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Nagorno Karabakh, Artsakh Blockade | Series: artsakhblockade

Artsakh Blockade Flash Update with Gev Iskajyan - Ep 200, Jan 11, 2023

Armenian News Network - Jan 11, 2023

Guest:

Topics:

  • Power Shortages
  • Food Rationing and Basic Supplies
  • Weather Conditions
  • New Ministerial Appointments

Episode 200 | Recorded: January 11, 2023

Artsakh Blockade Flash Update with Gev Iskajyan - Ep 200, Jan 11, 2023 [EP200]

Posted on Wednesday, Jan 11, 2023 | Category: Politics, Artsakh, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Nagorno Karabakh, Artsakh Blockade

Artsakh Blockade Flash Update with Gev Iskajyan - Ep 200, Jan 11, 2023

Armenian News Network - Jan 11, 2023

Guest:

Topics:

  • Power Shortages
  • Food Rationing and Basic Supplies
  • Weather Conditions
  • New Ministerial Appointments

Episode 200 | Recorded: January 11, 2023

William Bairamian, Arthur Khachikyan: Artsakh Under Blockade - Day 31 [EP199]

Posted on Wednesday, Jan 11, 2023 | Category: Artsakh, Politics, Armenia, Nagorno Karabakh, Russia, Diaspora, Artsakh Blockade, Turkey, Azerbaijan, NATO, Ukraine, Georgia, Economy, European Union, China, Genocide, Middle East | Series: cog, video

Guests:

  • William Bairamian , founder and editor of The Armenite. He has written extensively on Armenian politics, culture, and society. He received degrees in international affairs from Columbia University and UCLA.
  • Arthur Khachikyan , International Relations expert from Stanford University, specializing in Intervention. He currently teaches at the Russian Armenian University in Yerevan.

“This is a repeat of Srebrenica. To gradually strangle and force the people to leave.” -Arthur Khachikyan

Topic:

More than 120,000 people remain trapped in the Republic of Artsakh (or Nagorno-Karabakh)

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