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.
Normalization | Brussels Sprouts | NSC Chair in DC | Armenia Project Tour | Ep. 108 - Dec 19, 2021 [EP108]
Posted on Tuesday, Dec 21, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Artsakh, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Russia, Nagorno Karabakh, Artsakh Blockade, Armenian Genocide, European Union, Genocide, Georgia, Iran, Ukraine, NATO, Economy, Middle East | Series: wir
ANN/Groong Week in Review - December 19, 2021
Topics:
- Turkish-Armenian normalization
- Brussels Sprouts
- Armen Grigoryan in Washington DC
- The Armenian Project - US Tour
- Analyst Rants
Guest:
Episode 108 | Recorded: December 20, 2021
Normalization | Brussels Sprouts | NSC Chair in DC | Armenia Project Tour | Ep. 108 - Dec 19, 2021 [EP108]
Posted on Tuesday, Dec 21, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Artsakh, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Russia, Nagorno Karabakh, Artsakh Blockade, Armenian Genocide, European Union, Genocide, Georgia, Iran, Ukraine, NATO, Economy, Middle EastANN/Groong Week in Review - December 19, 2021
Topics:
- Turkish-Armenian normalization
- Brussels Sprouts
- Armen Grigoryan in Washington DC
- The Armenian Project - US Tour
- Analyst Rants
Guest:
Episode 108 | Recorded: December 20, 2021
Zoom for Democracy | Domestic & Regional Politics | Artsakh Republic at 30 | Ep #106 - Dec 12, 2021 [EP106]
Posted on Monday, Dec 13, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Artsakh, Politics, Geopolitics, Russia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Turkey, Iran, Georgia, China, Israel, Syria, Genocide, Human Rights, Economy, Armenian Genocide, Nagorno Karabakh, Artsakh Blockade, European Union, NATO, Lebanon, Middle East | Series: wir
ANN/Groong Week in Review - December 12, 2021
Topics:
- Zoom for Democracy
- Domestic Politics
- Regional Politics
- Artsakh Independence at 30
- Analyst Rants
Guests:
- Benyamin Poghosyan TW/@benyamin_poghos
- Pietro Shakarian
Guest(s):
Hosts:
- Hovik Manucharyan TW/@HovikYerevan
- Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq
Episode 106 | Recorded: Sunday, December 12, 2021
Zoom for Democracy | Domestic & Regional Politics | Artsakh Republic at 30 | Ep #106 - Dec 12, 2021 [EP106]
Posted on Monday, Dec 13, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Artsakh, Politics, Geopolitics, Russia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Turkey, Iran, Georgia, China, Israel, Syria, Genocide, Human Rights, Economy, Armenian Genocide, Nagorno Karabakh, Artsakh Blockade, European Union, NATO, Lebanon, Middle EastANN/Groong Week in Review - December 12, 2021
Topics:
- Zoom for Democracy
- Domestic Politics
- Regional Politics
- Artsakh Independence at 30
- Analyst Rants
Guests:
- Benyamin Poghosyan TW/@benyamin_poghos
- Pietro Shakarian
Guest(s):
Hosts:
- Hovik Manucharyan TW/@HovikYerevan
- Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq
Episode 106 | Recorded: Sunday, December 12, 2021
Independence Day | Pashinyan's Turkish Overtures | Goris-Kapan Highway | Ep #89 - Sep 19, 2021 [EP89]
Posted on Tuesday, Sep 21, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Iran, Russia, Georgia, Artsakh, Ukraine, Economy, Genocide, Israel, Nagorno Karabakh, Artsakh Blockade, Armenian Genocide, European Union | Series: wir
Guest(s):
ANN/Groong Week in Review - September 19, 2021
Topics:
- Independence Day
- Pashinyanâs Turkish overtures
- Goris-Kapan highway
Guests:
- Dr. Pietro Shakarian
Host:
- Hovik Manucharyan
Episode #89 | Recorded: September 20, 2021 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20210919.html
Independence Day | Pashinyan's Turkish Overtures | Goris-Kapan Highway | Ep #89 - Sep 19, 2021 [EP89]
Posted on Tuesday, Sep 21, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Iran, Russia, Georgia, Artsakh, Ukraine, Economy, Genocide, Israel, Nagorno Karabakh, Artsakh Blockade, Armenian Genocide, European UnionGuest(s):
ANN/Groong Week in Review - September 19, 2021
Topics:
- Independence Day
- Pashinyanâs Turkish overtures
- Goris-Kapan highway
Guests:
- Dr. Pietro Shakarian
Host:
- Hovik Manucharyan
Episode #89 | Recorded: September 20, 2021 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20210919.html
Aspram Krpeyan: Hayastan Dashinq, Elections and Postwar Outlook (Ep #71) - June 18, 2021 [EP71]
Posted on Friday, Jun 18, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Turkey, Human Rights, Russia, Artsakh Blockade | Series: cog
Hayastan Dashinq (Armenia Alliance), Elections and Postwar Outlook
Guest
Aspram Krpeyan, is a member of the Hayastan Dashinq led by former president Robert Kocharyan in the upcoming elections in Armenia, and a member of its list of parliamentary party representatives. She holds an MSt in Diplomatic Studies from the University of Oxford and an LLM from the Geneva Academy of the International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights. Her research interests lie in international law with a focus on the interplay between international humanitarian law and human rights, use of force, including the conduct
Read MoreAspram Krpeyan: Hayastan Dashinq, Elections and Postwar Outlook (Ep #71) - June 18, 2021 [EP71]
Posted on Friday, Jun 18, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Turkey, Human Rights, Russia, Artsakh BlockadeHayastan Dashinq (Armenia Alliance), Elections and Postwar Outlook
Guest
Aspram Krpeyan, is a member of the Hayastan Dashinq led by former president Robert Kocharyan in the upcoming elections in Armenia, and a member of its list of parliamentary party representatives. She holds an MSt in Diplomatic Studies from the University of Oxford and an LLM from the Geneva Academy of the International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights. Her research interests lie in international law with a focus on the interplay between international humanitarian law and human rights, use of force, including the conduct
Read MoreUnblocking The South Caucasus, Facts & 'Alternative Facts' | Ep 83 - Aug 1, 2021 (Recorded 6/14/21) [EP83]
Posted on Monday, Jun 14, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Georgia, Iran, Russia, Artsakh Blockade, Armenian Genocide, Economy, Genocide, Israel, NATO | Series: cog
Guests:
Topic:
- This Conversations on Groong episode is our first Live Show on Clubhouse and hopefully it will be an informative, as well as an enjoyable discussion for all. We will be talking about the politics of opening the paths of communication, lifting blockades, and the rumors, facts, and fallacies around so-called âcorridorsâ through each otherâs countries.
Episode 83 | Recorded: June 14, 2021