NKR / Artsakh Defense Army
The NKR or Artsakh Defense Army emerged from local Armenian militias and volunteers during the First Karabakh War. It became the standing military force of the unrecognised Republic of Artsakh, integrated in practice with Armenian military planning but formally attached to the de facto state in Stepanakert.
Army of a de facto republic
The NKR or Artsakh Defense Army emerged from local Armenian militias and volunteers during the First Karabakh War. It became the standing military force of the unrecognised Republic of Artsakh, integrated in practice with Armenian military planning but formally attached to the de facto state in Stepanakert.
Its record includes defence of Armenian-populated towns under siege, major victories in 1992–94, and responsibility for operations that displaced Azerbaijani civilians from surrounding districts. The capture of Lachin, Kelbajar, Agdam and the southern districts cannot be understood without it. Armenian memory treats the force as a survival army; Azerbaijani memory treats it as an occupying and separatist armed formation. Both readings correspond to real aspects of its history. contested
By 2023 the army was exhausted, under-equipped and isolated by the Lachin blockade. It capitulated on 20 September 2023, agreeing to disarm under Azerbaijani supervision. Its collapse ended the military foundation of Artsakh statehood.
Events
| Year | Event | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Khojaly massacre | attacking force |
| 1992 | Opening of the Lachin Corridor | perpetrator |
| 1993 | Armenian capture of Aghdam, Fuzuli, Jabrayil, Qubadli, Zangilan | perpetrator |