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.
Arthur Khachikyan: Artsakh Under Blockade: Day 6 [EP185]
Posted on Saturday, Dec 17, 2022 | Category: Artsakh, Politics, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, Artsakh Blockade, Nagorno Karabakh, Armenian Genocide, Genocide, Iran, Ukraine, NATO, Israel, China, Economy, India | Series: cog, video
Guest:
- Arthur Khachikyan , PhD is an International Relations expert from Stanford University, specializing in Intervention. He currently teaches at the Russian Armenian University in Yerevan.
Topic:
Weâre going on to Day 6 of the Artsakh Blockade by Azerbaijan, and Groong and 168 Hours are teaming up to bring you more English-language coverage on the developments of this very serious issue, a major humanitarian crisis in Artsakh in progress.
“We somehow have this complex. We think weâre the sleeping beauty and the west is going to come and save us. And every time that it
Read MoreArthur Khachikyan: Artsakh Under Blockade: Day 6 [EP185]
Posted on Saturday, Dec 17, 2022 | Category: Artsakh, Politics, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, Artsakh Blockade, Nagorno Karabakh, Armenian Genocide, Genocide, Iran, Ukraine, NATO, Israel, China, Economy, IndiaGuest:
- Arthur Khachikyan , PhD is an International Relations expert from Stanford University, specializing in Intervention. He currently teaches at the Russian Armenian University in Yerevan.
Topic:
Weâre going on to Day 6 of the Artsakh Blockade by Azerbaijan, and Groong and 168 Hours are teaming up to bring you more English-language coverage on the developments of this very serious issue, a major humanitarian crisis in Artsakh in progress.
“We somehow have this complex. We think weâre the sleeping beauty and the west is going to come and save us. And every time that it
Read MoreԱրցախը Շրջափակման Մեջ: Օր 4 | Artsakh Under Blockade: Day 4 [EP184]
Posted on Thursday, Dec 15, 2022 | Category: Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Politics, In Armenian, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Artsakh Blockade | Series: cog
Guest:
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Episode 184 | Recorded: December 15, 2022
Արցախը Շրջափակման Մեջ: Օր 4 | Artsakh Under Blockade: Day 4 [EP184]
Posted on Thursday, Dec 15, 2022 | Category: Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Politics, In Armenian, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Artsakh BlockadeGuest:
«ÕÕ¡ ÕºÕ¥Õ¿Ö Õ§ Õ¸Õ£ÖÕ¸ÖÕ« Ö Õ¸Õ£Õ¥Õ·Õ¶Õ¹Õ« ÕµÕ¸ÖÖÕ¡ÖÕ¡Õ¶Õ¹ÕµÕ¸ÖÖ Õ°Õ¡ÕµÕ« Ö ÕºÕ¥Õ¿Ö Õ§ Õ¶Õ¸Ö Õ©Õ¡Ö Õ°Õ¡Õ²Õ¸ÖÕ¤Õ« Õ´Õ¥Ö Õ¡ÕµÕ¶ 30 Õ¿Õ¡ÖÕ«Õ¶Õ¥ÖÕ« ÕºÕ¡ÕµÖÕ¡ÖÕ«Õ¶, Õ¸ÖÕ¨ Õ¤Õ¥Õ¼ÖÕ½ Õ¹Õ¥Õ¶Ö Õ¡Õ¾Õ¡ÖÕ¿Õ¥Õ¬:»
Episode 184 | Recorded: December 15, 2022
Gev Iskajyan: Artsakh Under Blockade: Day 3 [EP183]
Posted on Wednesday, Dec 14, 2022 | Category: Artsakh, Politics, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Human Rights, Russia, Nagorno Karabakh, Artsakh Blockade | Series: cog
Guest:
For three days now the campaign instigated by the government of Azerbaijan has prevented the freedom of movement of Armenians of Artsakh. Gas supplies have also been cut off.
âArtsakh is still Armenian land. Artsakh is still an independent republic. Artsakh is not gone. … We have to hold on to what remains of this land here.â - Gev Iskajyan
Episode 183 | Recorded: December 14, 2022
Gev Iskajyan: Artsakh Under Blockade: Day 3 [EP183]
Posted on Wednesday, Dec 14, 2022 | Category: Artsakh, Politics, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Human Rights, Russia, Nagorno Karabakh, Artsakh BlockadeGuest:
For three days now the campaign instigated by the government of Azerbaijan has prevented the freedom of movement of Armenians of Artsakh. Gas supplies have also been cut off.
âArtsakh is still Armenian land. Artsakh is still an independent republic. Artsakh is not gone. … We have to hold on to what remains of this land here.â - Gev Iskajyan
Episode 183 | Recorded: December 14, 2022
Lachin Blocked | Armenia-Azerbaijan Negotiations | Military Exercises | Syunik [EP182]
Posted on Sunday, Dec 11, 2022 | Category: Armenia, Artsakh, Politics, Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh, Turkey, Russia, Iran, Artsakh Blockade, European Union, Ukraine, China, Geopolitics, Economy, Israel, Middle East, NATO, Syria, India | Series: wir
Guest:
Topics:
- Lachin Corridor Blockade
- Continuing Armenian-Azerbaijani Negotiations
- Turkish-Azerbaijani Military Exercises
- Travel Impressions from the region
Episode 182 | Recorded: December 13, 2022
Lachin Blocked | Armenia-Azerbaijan Negotiations | Military Exercises | Syunik [EP182]
Posted on Sunday, Dec 11, 2022 | Category: Armenia, Artsakh, Politics, Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh, Turkey, Russia, Iran, Artsakh Blockade, European Union, Ukraine, China, Geopolitics, Economy, Israel, Middle East, NATO, Syria, IndiaGuest:
Topics:
- Lachin Corridor Blockade
- Continuing Armenian-Azerbaijani Negotiations
- Turkish-Azerbaijani Military Exercises
- Travel Impressions from the region
Episode 182 | Recorded: December 13, 2022
Armenia-Azerbaijan Negotiations | Artsakh Reshuffle | Opposition [EP181]
Posted on Tuesday, Dec 6, 2022 | Category: Politics, Armenia, Artsakh, Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh, Artsakh Blockade, European Union, Russia, Iran, NATO, Ukraine, Economy, Middle East | Series: wir
Guest:
Topics:
- Armenia-Azerbaijan Negotiations Continue
- CSTO Debacle
- Lavrov Bombshell
- Lachin Corridor Blockaded
- Brussels Summit Canceled
- Artsakh President Lays off Government
- Parliamentary Opposition Fragmenting
Episode 181 | Recorded: December 6, 2022