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.

Groong episodes that include this tag

Below are all Groong episodes tagged with Nagorno Karabakh.

Escalation in Yeraskh | Gunpoint Diplomacy | Emigration | Guest Trip Report | Ep. 81 - July 25, 2021 [EP81]

Posted on Tuesday, Jul 27, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics, Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Artsakh, Iran, Middle East, Economy, China, Georgia, Lebanon, Ukraine, Nagorno Karabakh | Series: wir

ANN/Groong Week in Review - July 25, 2021

Topics:

  • Escalation in Yeraskh
  • “Peace Treaty” at Gunpoint
  • Emigration out of Armenia
  • Trip Report from Our Guests

Guests:

Episode 81 | Recorded: July 26, 2021

Escalation in Yeraskh | Gunpoint Diplomacy | Emigration | Guest Trip Report | Ep. 81 - July 25, 2021 [EP81]

Posted on Tuesday, Jul 27, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics, Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Artsakh, Iran, Middle East, Economy, China, Georgia, Lebanon, Ukraine, Nagorno Karabakh

ANN/Groong Week in Review - July 25, 2021

Topics:

  • Escalation in Yeraskh
  • “Peace Treaty” at Gunpoint
  • Emigration out of Armenia
  • Trip Report from Our Guests

Guests:

Episode 81 | Recorded: July 26, 2021

Armenian Foreign policy Between War and Peace | Ep #80 - July 22, 2021 [EP80]

Posted on Thursday, Jul 22, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Russia, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Iran, Artsakh, Ukraine, Georgia, China, India, Syria, Economy, Middle East, Nagorno Karabakh, NATO, European Union | Series: cog

Armenian Foreign policy Between War and Peace A Conversation with Dr. Pietro Shakarian and Yeghia Tashjian

Topics:

  • Sparring Partners: Moscow and Ankara
  • Yerevan’s Diplomatic Dilemmas
  • Aliyev’s Appetite and Ambitions

Guests

  • Dr. Pietro Shakarian
  • Yeghia Tashjian

Guest(s):

Hosts:

  • Hovik Manucharyan
  • Asbed Bedrossian

Episode 80 | Recorded: July 21, 2021 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/CoG-20210722.html

Armenian Foreign policy Between War and Peace | Ep #80 - July 22, 2021 [EP80]

Posted on Thursday, Jul 22, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Russia, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Iran, Artsakh, Ukraine, Georgia, China, India, Syria, Economy, Middle East, Nagorno Karabakh, NATO, European Union

Armenian Foreign policy Between War and Peace A Conversation with Dr. Pietro Shakarian and Yeghia Tashjian

Topics:

  • Sparring Partners: Moscow and Ankara
  • Yerevan’s Diplomatic Dilemmas
  • Aliyev’s Appetite and Ambitions

Guests

  • Dr. Pietro Shakarian
  • Yeghia Tashjian

Guest(s):

Hosts:

  • Hovik Manucharyan
  • Asbed Bedrossian

Episode 80 | Recorded: July 21, 2021 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/CoG-20210722.html

Const Court Decision | PM Appts | Aliyev Threats | Russian Gens in Yerevan | Ep #79 - July 18, 2021 [EP79]

Posted on Tuesday, Jul 20, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, Genocide, Armenian Genocide, Artsakh, Syria, Iran, Economy, Georgia, Ukraine, Nagorno Karabakh, European Union, NATO | Series: wir

ANN/Groong Week in Review - July 18, 2021

Topics:

  • Constitutional Court Decisions on Election Results
  • New Pashinyan Appointments
  • More Threats from Azerbaijan
  • Russian Generals in Yerevan Again

Guests:

  • Suren Sargsyan

Guest(s):

Hosts:

  • Hovik Manucharyan
  • Asbed Bedrossian

Episode 79 | Recorded: July 19, 2021 https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20210718.html

Const Court Decision | PM Appts | Aliyev Threats | Russian Gens in Yerevan | Ep #79 - July 18, 2021 [EP79]

Posted on Tuesday, Jul 20, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, Genocide, Armenian Genocide, Artsakh, Syria, Iran, Economy, Georgia, Ukraine, Nagorno Karabakh, European Union, NATO

ANN/Groong Week in Review - July 18, 2021

Topics:

  • Constitutional Court Decisions on Election Results
  • New Pashinyan Appointments
  • More Threats from Azerbaijan
  • Russian Generals in Yerevan Again

Guests:

  • Suren Sargsyan

Guest(s):

Hosts:

  • Hovik Manucharyan
  • Asbed Bedrossian

Episode 79 | Recorded: July 19, 2021 https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20210718.html

Putin / Pashinyan | Const. Court | Steel out of Velvet | Year-in-Review (Ep #78) - July 11, 2021 [EP78]

Posted on Tuesday, Jul 13, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Russia, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Economy, Iran, Ukraine, Artsakh, Syria, Genocide, Middle East, Nagorno Karabakh, NATO | Series: wir

ANN/Groong Week in Review - July 11, 2021

Topics:

  • Putin / Pashinyan meeting
  • Constitutional Court Challenge
  • Forging Steel out of Velvet
  • Groong Podcast’s Year-in-Review

Guests: Asbed Kotchikian

Guest(s):

Hosts:

  • Hovik Manucharyan
  • Asbed Bedrossian

Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20210711.html

Episode 78 | Recorded: July 11, 2021

Putin / Pashinyan | Const. Court | Steel out of Velvet | Year-in-Review (Ep #78) - July 11, 2021 [EP78]

Posted on Tuesday, Jul 13, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Russia, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Economy, Iran, Ukraine, Artsakh, Syria, Genocide, Middle East, Nagorno Karabakh, NATO

ANN/Groong Week in Review - July 11, 2021

Topics:

  • Putin / Pashinyan meeting
  • Constitutional Court Challenge
  • Forging Steel out of Velvet
  • Groong Podcast’s Year-in-Review

Guests: Asbed Kotchikian

Guest(s):

Hosts:

  • Hovik Manucharyan
  • Asbed Bedrossian

Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20210711.html

Episode 78 | Recorded: July 11, 2021

Preserving Armenian Heritage - Maghakyan, Khatchadourian, Maranci | Ep #77 - June 30, 2021 [EP77]

Posted on Wednesday, Jun 30, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Artsakh, Armenian Church, Human Rights, Genocide, Syria, Nagorno Karabakh, NATO | Series: cog

Guest(s):

Preserving Armenian Heritage

Topics:

  • What is Armenian Art and Architecture?
  • Where does Artsakh’s Heritage fit in the larger Armenian picture?
  • What Armenian Heritage fell under Azerbaijani Control in 2020?
  • What is Caucasus Heritage Watch and What does it do?
  • What can International Organizations do for Artsakh?
  • How do International Instruments fail in Preserving Armenian Heritage?

Host:

  • Simon Maghakyan is an independent researcher of cultural destruction and lecturer in International Relations at the University of Colorado Denver.

Guests

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