Nagorno Karabakh

Last updated: May 29, 2026

The Nagorno Karabakh conflict — also known as the Artsakh conflict, and in official Azerbaijani and international usage as the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict — has been the central subject of Groong’s coverage since the podcast launched. With more than 450 episodes addressing the dispute in whole or in part, this archive represents one of the most comprehensive English-language audio records of the conflict’s recent history.

At its core, the conflict was not simply a territorial dispute between two states. The Armenian population of Artsakh — the Republic of Artsakh — was asserting its right to self-determination, a principle recognized in international law and enshrined in the UN Charter. That claim stood in direct tension with Azerbaijan’s insistence on its territorial integrity and the inviolability of Soviet-era administrative borders. The failure to resolve that tension through diplomacy over three decades ultimately ended in war.

Groong covered the 44-Day War of September–November 2020, in which Azerbaijan retook large portions of Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) with Turkish military support, and the November 9, 2020 ceasefire brokered by Russia. That ceasefire created an unstable status quo: the Republic of Artsakh continued to exist on a reduced territory under the protection of Russian peacekeepers, but Azerbaijan progressively tightened its grip. The nine-month blockade of the Lachin Corridor from December 2022 onward cut the region off from food, medicine, and fuel, creating a humanitarian crisis documented in real time on Groong.

Azerbaijan’s military offensive of September 19–20, 2023 ended Armenian governance of Nagorno-Karabakh entirely. Within three weeks, virtually the entire Armenian population of Artsakh at the time — some 120,000 people, the descendants of communities that had lived in the region for millenia — was driven from the Republic of Artsakh to Armenia. Human rights organizations and many governments characterized this as ethnic cleansing. The Azerbaijani government dissolved the Republic of Artsakh on January 1, 2024.

Groong’s ongoing coverage addresses the situation of Armenian prisoners of war still held in Baku, including former Artsakh President Arayik Harutyunyan and former State Minister Ruben Vardanyan, the right of return for the displaced population, ongoing Armenia-Azerbaijan peace negotiations, and the prospects for accountability for what occurred.

Armenian News: Ukraine Crisis Update | Parukh - Brussels - Moscow | Ep #131 - Apr 3, 2022 [EP131]

Posted on Monday, Apr 4, 2022 | Category: Russia, Ukraine, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Georgia, China, Genocide, Artsakh, India, Human Rights, Armenian Genocide, Iran, Middle East, Nagorno Karabakh, NATO, European Union | Series: WIR

Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - April 3, 2022

Topics:

  • 00:00 Intro
  • 01:12 Ukraine Crisis Update
  • 37:16 Parukh - Brussels - Moscow
  • 58:43 Rants

Guest:

  • Pietro Shakarian

Host:

  • Hovik Manucharyan TW/@HovikYerevan
  • Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq

Episode 131 | Recorded: Sunday, April 4, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220403.html

Armenian News: Askeran Incursion | Artsakh Still Without Gas | Pax Azeriana | Ep. 130 - Mar 27, 2022 [EP130]

Posted on Monday, Mar 28, 2022 | Category: Armenia, Artsakh, Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh, Turkey, Russia, European Union, Iran, Ukraine, Geopolitics, Genocide, Georgia, Israel, NATO, Syria | Series: WIR

Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - March 27, 2022

Topics:

  • Introduction
  • Azerbaijan Incursions into Askeran Region
  • Artsakh Still Without Natural Gas
  • Pax Azeriana

Guest:

Episode 130 | Recorded: Monday, March 28, 2022

Armenian News: "Peace" Deal | Artsakh Gas | Ukraine Protests | Vardenis | Ep #129 - Mar 20, 2022 [EP129]

Posted on Monday, Mar 21, 2022 | Category: Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Turkey, Artsakh, China, Economy, Georgia, India, Nagorno Karabakh, NATO, European Union | Series: WIR

Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - March 20, 2022

Topics:

  • 00:00 Introduction
  • 00:47 Azerbaijan’s “Peace” Deal
  • 13:34 Artsakh Without Natural Gas in Winter
  • 28:07 Ukraine Protests in Yerevan
  • 43:29 Vardenis Mayoral Issue Resolved
  • 47:17 Rants

Guest:

Host:

Episode 129 | Recorded: Sunday, March 21, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220320.html

Renewed Hostilities in Artsakh | Ukraine | FM Arabat Mirzoyan in Antalya | Ep #128 - Mar 13, 2022 [EP128]

Posted on Monday, Mar 14, 2022 | Category: Russia, Ukraine, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Artsakh, Syria, Iran, Armenian Church, Nagorno Karabakh, NATO | Series: WIR

ANN/Groong Week in Review - March 13, 2022

Topics:

  • Renewed Hostilities in Artsakh
  • Update on Ukraine
  • FM “Arabat” Mirzoyan in Antalya

Guest:

  • Dr. Pietro Shakarian

Host:

  • Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq
  • Hovik Manucharyan TW/@HovikYerevan

Episode 128 | Recorded: Sunday, March 13, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220313.html

The State of Armenia’s Economy - A Conversation with Vache Gabrielyan | Ep #127 - March 10, 2022 [EP127]

Posted on Thursday, Mar 10, 2022 | Category: Armenia, Economy, Russia, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Ukraine, Iran, China, Artsakh, Israel, Nagorno Karabakh | Series: COG

The State of Armenia’s Economy - March 10, 2022

A Conversation with Vache Gabrielyan

Topics:

  • 00:00:00 Introduction
  • 00:01:25 Risk from the Ukraine War
  • 00:37:18 Pandemic, War and Beyond Economy
  • 01:01:47 Normalization with Turkey and Corridor Economics

Guest:

Dr. Vache Gabrielyan who is the Dean of the Manoogian Simone College of Business and Economics at the American University of Armenia and specializes in public administration and economics. Since 2008, he has served as Vice-Governor of the Central Bank of Armenia, Minister of Finance, Minister-Chief of the Government Staff, Chief Advisor

 Read More

Ukraine | Dismissing Generals | 2nd Normalization Meeting | New President | Ep #126 - Mar 6, 2022 [EP126]

Posted on Monday, Mar 7, 2022 | Category: Russia, Ukraine, Armenia, Turkey, China, Economy, Syria, Genocide, Iran, Azerbaijan, Geopolitics, Georgia, India, Nagorno Karabakh, Armenian Genocide, NATO | Series: WIR

ANN/Groong Week in Review - March 6, 2022

Topics:

  • 00:00 Introduction
  • 01:15 Ukraine War and Effects on Armenia
  • 19:04 Armenia Shuffles Generals
  • 25:15 Second Normalization Meeting
  • 33:06 Armenian Parliament Elects New President

Guest:

  • Benyamin Poghosyan TW/@Benyamin_Poghos

Host:

  • Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq

Episode 126 | Recorded: Sunday, March 6, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220306.html

Ukraine | Donetsk Luhansk, Artsakh | Aliyev in Moscow | Euronest in Yerevan | Ep #125 - Feb 27, 2022 [EP125]

Posted on Monday, Feb 28, 2022 | Category: Russia, Ukraine, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Georgia, Iran, China, Artsakh, Genocide, Economy, Geopolitics, Lebanon, Nagorno Karabakh, NATO | Series: WIR

ANN/Groong Week in Review - February 27, 2022

Topics:

  • Developments in the Ukraine Crisis
  • Donetsk, Luhansk. Artsakh?
  • Aliyev in Moscow
  • Euronest in Yerevan

Guest:

  • Pietro Shakarian
  • Yeghia Tashjian Host:
  • Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq
  • Hovik Manucharyan TW/@HovikYerevan

Episode 125 | Recorded: Sunday, February 27, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220227.html

Armenia’s Regional Challenges with Tatev Hayrapetyan | Ep #124 - Feb 26, 2022 [EP124]

Posted on Saturday, Feb 26, 2022 | Category: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, Iran, Ukraine, Artsakh, China, India, Nagorno Karabakh | Series: COG

Armenia’s Regional Challenges - February 26, 2022 A Conversation with Tatev Hayrapetyan

Topics:

  • Tatev’s Background and Entrance into Politics
  • Armenia Going in the Wrong Direction?
  • Aliyev and his Regime after the 44-Day War
  • The Shushi and Moscow Agreements
  • Armenia’s Foreign Affairs Establishment

Guest:

  • Tatev Hayrapetyan is an expert in Azerbaijani studies and holds a PhD in History. She was an MP at the 7th convocation of Armenia’s National Assembly, a member of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Armenian Delegation at the PACE. She is mainly focused on domestic
 Read More

Roundup on the Ukraine Crisis - February 22, 2022 [EP123]

Posted on Tuesday, Feb 22, 2022 | Category: Russia, Ukraine, Armenia, Artsakh, Azerbaijan, China, Syria, Nagorno Karabakh, NATO | Series: COG

Roundup on the Ukraine Crisis - February 22, 2022

Topics:

  • Why did Putin Recognize Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts as Independent Republics?
  • Is Putin Trying to Recreate the USSR?
  • Is “The West” a Homogeneous Political Bloc?
  • What are the Objectives of the US?

Guest:

  • Dr. Pietro Shakarian, who is a Lecturer in History at the American University of Armenia in Yerevan. His research focuses on the history of Soviet Armenia and the Caucasus.

Hosts:

  • Hovik Manucharyan TW/@HovikYerevan
  • Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq

Episode 123 | Recorded on Friday, February 22, 2022 Show notes: https://groong.org/podcasts/CoG-20220222.html