The people of Artsakh are firmly and unwaveringly standing on their land and their struggle is just, President of the Artsakh Republic Arayik Harutyunyan wrote on Facebook after a rally of thousands at the Stepanakert Revival Square.

On December 12, in the morning a group of Azerbaijanis in civilian clothing blocked the Stepanakert-Goris highway connecting Artsakh and Armenia near the junction near Shushi-Kari, allegedly for "environmental reasons", thus leaving the Republic of Artsakh in a complete blockade for two weeks.