Opening of the Lachin Corridor
Armenian opening of the Lachin Corridor in May 1992, linking Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia through Lachin district after the capture of Shusha. It transformed Karabakh from a besieged enclave into contiguous Armenian-controlled territory.
Account
Background
Before May 1992 Karabakh Armenians were geographically isolated from Armenia proper. Shusha controlled the heights above Stepanakert, while Lachin district formed the strip between Karabakh and Armenia.
Opening and meaning
After the capture of Shusha, Armenian forces moved through Lachin and opened a land route to Goris. The corridor allowed weapons, food, refugees, medical evacuation and political integration. It also displaced Azerbaijani civilians from Lachin district.
For Armenians it was a lifeline. For Azerbaijanis it was occupation of territory outside NKAO. Both descriptions are true, which is why every later settlement plan treated Lachin separately. The 2022–23 blockade again showed that whoever controls Lachin controls Karabakh Armenian survival conditions editorial.