May 8, 2018 marks the 26th anniversary of the unique operation, by the Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) defense army and Armenian volunteer detachments, for the liberation of Karabakh’s strategic town of Shushi, from Azerbaijani armed forces. The liberation of Shushi was a crucial phase in the Karabakh War.

Sushi had turned into an Azerbaijani military base during the Karabakh War that was unleashed by Azerbaijan.

The aforesaid operation commenced on the night of May 8, 1992 and, as a result, the adversary fled from Shushi in the early morning hours of May 9.

In late 1991, Azerbaijani armed forces had started shelling Stepanakert, the capital city of Artsakh, from high-elevation Shushi and surrounding areas. The situation deteriorated sharply in February 1992, when they began also using multiple rocket launchers (BM-21 Grad). As a result of the shelling, 111 civilians were killed and 332 others were wounded, and about 370 houses and buildings were destroyed. By April, the actual existence of Stepanakert was under a threat.

And in early May, Armenian commanders made the only possible decision: to liberate Shushi from Azerbaijani armed forces by means of a military operation.

The operation was launched on May 8, 1992 at around 2am. Shushi was guarded by about 2,500 Azerbaijani soldiers that were armed to the teeth.

The military operation was led by Arkadi Ter-Tadevosyan, commander of the Artsakh self-defense. The frontline stretched for 45 kilometers, and the operation was carried out in several directions.

Owing to the high morale of the Artsakh defense army and Armenian volunteer detachments, combined with skillful command, the operation was completed in solely about 26 hours—on May 9, at around 4am.

The Armenian side gave 57 loses during this military operation, whereas the Azerbaijani army suffered between 250 and 300 casualties.