southfront--2020-10-23--Blockbuster Report Reveals How Biden Family Was Compromised By China

In a day when half the US population remained transfixed by the ongoing revelations about the contents of Hunter Biden ’ s “ laptop from hell ” and the other half was doing everything in its power to ignore the news which the socials have conveniently been desperate to censor , a far less noticed but perhaps just as important investigative report authored by the unknown was released by Christopher Balding , Associate Professor at Peking University HSBC School of Business Shenzhen , China and also Bloomberg contributor ( which is odd considering the clear anti-Trump bias of the Bloomberg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China which “ the press has simply refused to cover ” , and which reveals “ how Biden was compromised by the Communist Party of China.
” In a series of tweets around noon on Thursday , Balding said that he had really “ not wanted to do this but roughly 2 months ago I was handed a report about Biden activities in China the press has simply refused to cover .
I want to strongly emphasize I did not write the report but I know who did.
” Some more background on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s website : Upon review , this is how Balding summarized the report ’ s contents in his series of tweets : Hunter Biden is partnered with the Chinese state .
Entire investment partnership is Chinese state money from social security fund to China Development Bank .
It is actually a subsidiary of the Bank of China .
This is not remotely anything less than a Chinese state funded play .
Though the entire size of the fund can not be reconstructed , the Taiwanese cofounder who is now detained in China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1-1.5 billion but $ 6.5 billion .
This would make Hunters stake worth at a minimum at least $ 50 million if he was to sell it .
Disturbingly , everyone on the Chinese side are clearly linked with influence and intelligence organizations .
China uses very innocuous sounding organization names to hide PLA , United Front , or Ministry of Foreign Affairs influence/intelligence operations .
This report can not say Hunter was the target of such an operation or that China even targeted him .
However , based upon the clear pattern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is an entirely reasonable conclusion .
Finally , the believed Godfather in arranging everything is a gentleman named Yang Jiechi .
He is currently the CCP Director of Foreign Affairs leading strategist for America , Politburo member one of the most powerful men in China , and Xi confidant .
Why does this matter ?
He met regularly with Joe Biden during his stint as Chinese ambassador the US when Biden chaired the Senate Foreign Relations Committee .
Later he was Minister of Foreign Affairs when the investment partnership was made official in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ listed MOFA institutions as the key clients in helping to arrange everything .
Yang would clearly have known the importance of Hunter Biden and undoubtedly would have been informed of any dealings .
Given that he is now the point person in China for dealing with the US this raises major concerns about a Biden administration dealing impartially with an individual in this capacity .
These are documented facts from Chinese corporate records like IPO prospectuses and media .
They raise very valid concerns about Biden linkages to China .
Turning to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ summary of its findings : To simply the various opaque Chinese intermediaries , the report shows the transfer of Chinese state money to Hunter , via major Chinese financial SOEs .
The next chart shows how the Communist Party of China cultivated Hunter via Lian and multiple Chinese foreign influence organizations : The third and final chart shows the relationships connecting US leaders with communist leaders in China and North Korea .
While there is official state-to-state dialogue and relationships between US and Chinese leaders , just one or two levels below are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ associates , who are always the personal recipients of Chinese state money .
The key section of the report begins on page 19 , in which the anonymous author details how the Biden family was compromised by China : The report also quotes from a 2019 National Review article detailing Hunter Biden ’ s financial links to China : Incidentally , this same article also points out the following : And while the National Review article does an exhaustive look into both Biden , Paradigm ’ s and Seneca Global Advisors , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concludes that its “ research indicates the Biden family and associates went on to execute a string of business deals with China and the CPC for nearly a decade.
” Fast-forwarding through the report , we learn about a curious entity called Thornton consulting : HNA , which was originally an airline carrier , is of course best known for becoming a major Chinese conglomerate which in 2015-2016 was the most acquisitive Chinese company involved in a flurry of multi-billion global M & A , including US electronics distributor Ingram Micro , CIT @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 25 % stake in Hilton , a 5 % stake in Deutsche Bank , and is widely regarded as backed by or ultimately owned by Wang Qishan , then former vice premier ( 2008 – 2013 ) .
Wang is currently China ’ s Vice-President and a close aide of Xi .
According to the report : “ HNA has allegedly used various methods to bribe targets in the past , including hosting parties and supplying targets with young women .
It is unknown if Thornton representatives were targeted in this manner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if any nighttime entertainment was provided , it was probably recorded by HNA/Chinese intelligence ( as is commonplace in China ) .
” Fast-forwarding to 2010 ( the report has all the interim details ) , we read that between April 7-9 , 2010 , “ HUNTER was introduced by LIN to China ’ s most powerful government controlled financial institutions.
” Here the report notes that “ while the English news item is no longer accessible on Thornton ’ s website , but the Chinese version remains.
” Only that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the publication of this report , it appears that someone had a keen interest in quickly removing that particular URL as can be seen here .
However , courtesy of the wayback machine , we can see what the Thornton consulting website , which was summarily taken down in the past 3-4 weeks , had to say as of this Sept 26 ( after which the website just disappears ) snapshot : The report continues that according to Thornton ’ s news item , HUNTER was introduced as the chairman of Rosemont Seneca @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vice-President , and the purpose of his visit was to “ deepen mutual understanding and explore the possibility of commercial cooperation ” .
LIN had delivered HUNTER to the Chinese for discussions on his pay-off .
Three days later , BIDEN met with then Chinese President Hu Jintao in Washington as part of the Nuclear Security Summit .
At the time Hunter was just barely 40 years old .
The report then pivots to dad Joe , who August 18 , 2011 held talks with Xi , then Chinese Vice-President , during a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the US “ fully understands that Taiwan and Tibet issues are China ’ s core interests , the U.S. will continue to resolutely pursue the one China policy , the U.S. does not support ‘ Taiwan ’ s independence ’ , and the U.S. fully recognizes that Tibet is an inalienable part of the People ’ s Republic of China.
” Biden ’ s words are verbatim from China ’ s official standpoint on Taiwan and Tibet .
Additionally , Biden said he “ has spent more time in private meetings with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including 25 hours of private dinners with Xi and one interpreter .
” A few days later BIDEN delivered a speech at Sichuan University , where he said : A few months after Biden ’ s Sichuan trip , Archer and Lin worked with a Sichuan Chemical , a large Sichuan state-owned company to set-up a major potash deal ( that never materialized ) for Prospect Global , a listed US company at the time , that soon delisted and no longer appears to be in business .
According to the report , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the deal was to just deliver Archer millions of dollars in compensation , to talk up the Prospect Global stock , or if it resulted in Sichuan Chemical transferring millions of US dollars to the US ( either for capital flight purposes or to be directed to US politicians such as BIDEN and KERRY ) .
” The story only gets more interesting from here , and focuses on the arrival on the scene in 2013 of none other than John Kerry , who is intimately tied to Hunter ( and thus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s predecessor Rosemont Capital , established in 2005 by Chris Heinz and Devon Archer who were roommates at Yale University .
The firm was named after a Heinz family farm , and the capital was from Heinz , heir to the Heinz food processing empire , and step-son of John Kerry , a former Yale graduate who at the time was the senator for Massachusetts .
On June 25 2009 , Hunter Biden co-founded Rosemont Seneca with Archer and Heinz ; the company ’ s offices in Georgetown were located two miles from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House and his residence at the Naval Observatory , and one mile from Kerry ’ s Georgetown mansion .
We will let readers do their own digging but we will highlight one section from the report , detailing how the Hunter Biden received Chinese state money… … and it involved the creation of BHR , which served as the entity facilitating the bulk of Chinese fund flows into the Bidens , as Hunter ’ s initial BHR stake , purchased for just $ 400,000 , is now likely be worth approximately $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On December 4 , 2013 HUNTER accompanies BIDEN on his official trip to China .
HUNTER told the New Yorker that he met Li during the December 2013 trip but described it as social encounter .
“ How do I go to Beijing , halfway around the world , and not see them ( Li ) for a cup of coffee ?
” he said .
HUNTER arranged a quick meeting in the lobby of the American delegation ’ s hotel in Beijing between BIDEN and Li , the BHR CEO .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” between HUNTER and Li , according to reports by the New Yorker .
The trip by HUNTER coincided with an official trip by the Ukranian President Viktor Yanukovych .
Many business deals promoting trade and investment between China and Ukraine were signed during this trip .
Some deals between Chinese and Ukranian firms have ties to firms HUNTER is known to be involved with such as the Bohai Commodity Exchange , owned by the same local governments that own a part of Bohai Industrial Investment .
On 16 December 2013 , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Beijing , BHR was incorporated in Shanghai , with its registered address in the Shanghai Free Trade Zone , according to State Market Regulatory Administration < SMRA > records .
HUNTER ’ s profile no longer appears on the BHR website .
One archived version lists him as a director on November 16 , 2015 .
BIDEN is referred to in the profile as a managing partner of Rosement Seneca Partners and a consultant at Boies Schiller Flexner LPP < Boies Schiller > .
According to a statement by BIDEN ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2019 , BIDEN was of counsel with Boies Schiller and advising Ukraine-linked Burisma Holdings Limited on its corporate reform initiatives .
He is also listed on Chinese PE websites where he is also referred to by the Chinese name ‘ Hengte Baideng ’ ( 亨特·拜登 ) SMRA records show HUNTER purchased 10 % of BHR on October 23 , 2017 ( via his investment vehicle Skaneateles LLC ) and was a director until April 20 , 2020 .
Previously he was invested via other holding companies .
BHR ’ s current shareholders are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Shanghai Ample Harvest Financial Services Group Co Ltd ( 上海丰实金融服务（集团）有限公司 ) ( 30 % ) , Angju Investment ( 10 % ) , Thornton ( 10 % ) , Ulysses Diversified Inc ( 10 % ) , Skaneateles LLC ( 10 % ) .
According to Chinese corporate records , the original owner of the US stake in BHR was Rosemont , Seneca Thornton , LLC with a 30 % shareholding .
This was split just under two years later into what is believed to be 20 % /10 % holding between Rosemont @ @ @ @ @ @ @ LLC .
This was later changed again splitting Rosemont , Seneca , Bohai into Skanletes and Ulyssees .
As Rosemont is the HEINZ KERRY vehicle and Seneca is the Biden vehicle , it is believed that the final split allowed HEINZ to exit the partnership divesting to ARCHER .
In summary , the Chinese government funded a business that it co-owned along with the son of a sitting US vice president and Secretary of State who was with high probability directly or indirectly invested in the holding company .
But if China funded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Hunter ?
Here the report goes into detail calculating that the entity likely had $ 6.5BN in AUM , generating $ 100- $ 150MM in annual revenue , and if one day the business was sold , it could do so for ~ $ 300 million ( see page 14-15 ) .
This returns the entire partnership to the fundamental problem : two sons of the Vice President of the United States and the Secretary of State willingly entered into a financial partnership with a government their fathers were supposed to deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this is where the Typhoon Investigations report , the Biden presidential campaign , and Hunter ’ s “ laptop from hell ” all converge : Still , while Hunter benefiting monetarily from deals with China may be unethical , it ’ s hardly illegal ( all else equal ) .
Where things get dicey is if to curry favor with China , and continue the freeflow of China-sourced cash , Hunter or his father , is betraying his fellow Americans .
Is this what happened ?
Read on and decide : Putting it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Chinese influence operation targeting Biden and Heinz , the two most important people in US foreign policy under the Obama administration , and their children can now be tied between a small group of organizations and individuals .
Of course , in exchange for funneling tens of millions to Hunter , China also got something : this : Finally , going back to Chris Balding who originally published the report , here is his own brief summary of everything laid out in the 64 page report : Beginning just before Joe Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Hunter Biden was travelling to Beijing meeting with Chinese financial institutions and political figures would ultimately become his investors .
Finalized in 2013 , the investment partnership included money from the Chinese government , social security , and major state-owned banks a veritable who ’ s who of Chinese state finance .
It is not simply the state money that should cause concern but the structures and deals that took place .
Most investment in specific projects came from state owned entities and flowed into state backed projects or enterprises .
Even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cronyism .
The Hunter Biden investment firm share of a copper mine in the Congo was guaranteed with assets put at risk by the larger copper company to ensure deal flow to Hunter ’ s firm .
In another instance , Bank of China working on an IPO in Hong Kong gave its share allocation to the BHR investment partnership .
They were able to do this because even though the Hunter Biden firm completed no notable work on the IPO , it is counted as a subsidiary of the Bank of China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is literally invested in by the Chinese state and a subsidiary of the Bank of China owned by the Chinese Ministry of Finance .
The entire arrangement speaks to Chinese state interests .
Meetings were held at locations that in China speak to the welcoming of foreign dignitaries or state to state relations .
The Chinese organizations surrounding Hunter Biden are known intelligence and influence operatives to the United States government .
The innocuous names like Chinese People ’ s Institute for Foreign Affairs exist to “ …carry out government-directed policies and cooperative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a formal part of the Chinese government.
” Interestingly the CPIFA is under the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs .
When the investment partnership was struck in 2013 , the Minister of Foreign Affairs was Yang Jiechi .
Yang would have been very familiar with Hunter Biden from his days in Washington as the Chinese Ambassador to the United States from 2001 to 2005 during which he met regularly with Joe Biden chairing the Senate Foreign Relations Committee .
Today the same individual who oversaw institutions helping shepherd Hunter ’ s investment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is Xi Jinping ’ s right hand man on foreign affairs and member of the powerful Politburo .
Most worrying is the financial leverage this gives the Chinese state over a direct member of the Biden family .
Despite the widely reported $ 1-1.5 billion of investment the reality is likely much higher .
A co-founder of the investment firm reports the total assets under management as $ 6.5 billion .
While this number can not be completely replicated , given that two deal alone were worth in excess of $ 1.6 billion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A 2 % annual fee on assets under management would generate $ 130 million annually .
Add in the 20 % fee on capital gains the firm would recognize and it is not difficult to see Hunter ’ s stake being worth in excess of $ 50 million .
According to Hunter ’ s attorney , he did not invest his $ 400,000 in the company until 2017 .
Even assuming the veracity of this statement , this raises a major problem .
Founded in 2013 , the firm had large amounts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2017 .
In other words , his $ 400,000 stake would have already been worth far more than what he paid for it .
This paltry $ 400,000 investment worth more than $ 50 million now would have realized a gain of more than 12,400 % in three years .
The difficulty in eluding these concerns is their documentability by anyone who cares to look .
There is no potential for hacking because it is all public record in China .
Any journalist who wishes to look can go review IPO prospectuses , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There is no secret method for discovering this data other than actually looking .
There is simply no way to avoid the reality that Hunter Biden was granted a 10 % stake worth far in excess of what he paid for a firm that is literally operated and owned by the Chinese state .
I did not vote for Donald Trump in 2016 and have significant concerns about his policies in areas like immigration .
Having lived in China for nine years throughout the Xi regimes construction of concentration camps and having witnessed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intelligence operations , the Biden links worry me profoundly .
Whether Joe Biden personally knew the details , a very untenable position , it is simply political malpractice to not be aware of the details of these financial arrangements .
These documentable financial links simply can not be wished away .
And this is why Beijing is desperate to get Joe Biden – whose son got extremely wealthy thanks to China ’ s influence peddling operation for the past a decade- into the White House .
You can read the full report here @ @ @ @

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Originally appeared at ZeroHedge
In a day when half the US population remained transfixed by the ongoing revelations about the contents of Hunter Biden’s “laptop from hell” and the other half was doing everything in its power to ignore the news which the socials have conveniently been desperate to censor, a far less noticed but perhaps just as important investigative report authored by the unknown Typhoon Investigations, was released by Christopher Balding, Associate Professor at Peking University HSBC School of Business Shenzhen, China and also Bloomberg contributor (which is odd considering the clear anti-Trump bias of the Bloomberg media empire) exposing Biden activities in China which “the press has simply refused to cover”, and which reveals “how Biden was compromised by the Communist Party of China.”
In a series of tweets around noon on Thursday, Balding said that he had really “not wanted to do this but roughly 2 months ago I was handed a report about Biden activities in China the press has simply refused to cover. I want to strongly emphasize I did not write the report but I know who did.”
Some more background on the origins of the report from Balding’s website:
For two months I have worked on behalf of my colleague to ensure that this report helped others report on the documented evidence of Biden activities with regards to China. I want to emphasize a couple of things about my own involvement. First, I did not write the report and I am not responsible for the report. I have gone over the report with a fine tooth comb and can find nothing factually wrong with the report. Everything is cited and documented. Arguably the only weakness is that we do not have internal emails between Chinese players or the Chinese and Bidens that would make explicit what the links clearly imply.
Arguably the only weakness is that we do not have internal emails between Chinese players or the Chinese and Bidens that would make explicit what the links clearly imply. Second, I will not be disclosing the individual who did write this report. They have very valid reasons to fear for both their personal safety and professional risks. Throughout the years that I have known this individual we never discussed politics. I have never heard them criticize any political party other than the CCP. They are not a Republican.
Throughout the years that I have known this individual we never discussed politics. I have never heard them criticize any political party other than the CCP. Third, it was my very real wish that the press would have reported on the documented evidence in this report and left me and the author entirely out of this situation. I did not vote for Trump in 2016 and will not vote for him in 2020. This information however is entirely valid public interest information that the press has simply refused to cover due to their own partisan wishes. I have serious policy differences with President Trump. I am pro-immigration. I would like to see more free trade efforts to shift trade away from China and into partner countries from Mexico to Vietnam and India. I believe that institution building in Asia is vital and America needs to take that lead. However, I cannot in good conscience allow documented evidence of the variety presented here go unreported by partisans who are simply choosing to hide information.
This information however is entirely valid public interest information that the press has simply refused to cover due to their own partisan wishes. I have serious policy differences with President Trump. I am pro-immigration. I would like to see more free trade efforts to shift trade away from China and into partner countries from Mexico to Vietnam and India. I believe that institution building in Asia is vital and America needs to take that lead. Finally, I will not be answering any questions about the report. I had no wish to be involved in Presidential politics. I do not want to be on the news. I will not be answer any questions about who wrote the report. We need to return the focus to the known documented facts.
Upon review, this is how Balding summarized the report’s contents in his series of tweets:
Hunter Biden is partnered with the Chinese state. Entire investment partnership is Chinese state money from social security fund to China Development Bank. It is actually a subsidiary of the Bank of China. This is not remotely anything less than a Chinese state funded play. Though the entire size of the fund cannot be reconstructed, the Taiwanese cofounder who is now detained in China, reports it to be NOT $1-1.5 billion but $6.5 billion. This would make Hunters stake worth at a minimum at least $50 million if he was to sell it. Disturbingly, everyone on the Chinese side are clearly linked with influence and intelligence organizations. China uses very innocuous sounding organization names to hide PLA, United Front, or Ministry of Foreign Affairs influence/intelligence operations. This report cannot say Hunter was the target of such an operation or that China even targeted him. However, based upon the clear pattern of individuals and organizations surrounding him it is an entirely reasonable conclusion. Finally, the believed Godfather in arranging everything is a gentleman named Yang Jiechi. He is currently the CCP Director of Foreign Affairs leading strategist for America, Politburo member one of the most powerful men in China, and Xi confidant. Why does this matter? He met regularly with Joe Biden during his stint as Chinese ambassador the US when Biden chaired the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Later he was Minister of Foreign Affairs when the investment partnership was made official in 2013. Importantly, the Taiwanese national listed MOFA institutions as the key clients in helping to arrange everything. Yang would clearly have known the importance of Hunter Biden and undoubtedly would have been informed of any dealings. Given that he is now the point person in China for dealing with the US this raises major concerns about a Biden administration dealing impartially with an individual in this capacity. These are documented facts from Chinese corporate records like IPO prospectuses and media. They raise very valid concerns about Biden linkages to China .
Turning to the report itself, here is the 10-point summary of its findings:
Joe Biden’s compromising partnership with the Communist Party of China runs via Yang Jiechi (CPC’s Central Foreign Affairs Commission). YANG met frequently with BIDEN during his tenure at the Chinese embassy in Washington. Hunter Biden’s 2013 Bohai Harvest Rosemont investment partnership was set-up by Ministry of Foreign Affairs institutions who are tasked with garnering influence with foreign leaders during YANG’s tenure as Foreign Minister. HUNTER has a direct line to the Politburo, according to SOURCE A, a senior finance professional in China. Michael Lin, a Taiwanese national now detained in China, brokered the BHR partnership and partners with MOFA foreign influence organizations. LIN is a POI for his work on behalf of China, as confirmed by SOURCE B and SOURCE C (at two separate national intelligence agencies). BHR is a state managed operation. Leading shareholder in BHR is a Bank of China which lists BHR as a subsidiary and BHR’s partners are SOEs that funnel revenue/assets to BHR. HUNTER continues to hold 10% in BHR. He visited China in 2010 and met with major Chinese government financial companies that would later back BHR. HUNTER’s BHR stake (purchased for $400,000) is now likely be worth approx. $50 million (fees and capital appreciation based on BHR’s $6.5 billion AUM as stated by Michael Lin). HUNTER also did business with Chinese tycoons linked with the Chinese military and against the interests of US national security. BIDEN’s foreign policy stance towards China (formerly hawkish), turned positive despite China’s country’s rising geopolitical assertiveness.
To simply the various opaque Chinese intermediaries, the report shows the transfer of Chinese state money to Hunter, via major Chinese financial SOEs.
The next chart shows how the Communist Party of China cultivated Hunter via Lian and multiple Chinese foreign influence organizations:
The third and final chart shows the relationships connecting US leaders with communist leaders in China and North Korea. While there is official state-to-state dialogue and relationships between US and Chinese leaders, just one or two levels below are connected business arrangements with their relatives and associates, who are always the personal recipients of Chinese state money.
The key section of the report begins on page 19, in which the anonymous author details how the Biden family was compromised by China:
The report also quotes from a 2019 National Review article detailing Hunter Biden’s financial links to China:
Late Summer 2006: Hunter Biden and his uncle, James Biden, purchase the hedge fund Paradigm Global Advisors. According to an unnamed executive quoted in Politico in August, James Biden declared to employees on his first day, “Don’t worry about investors. We’ve got people all around the world who want to invest in Joe Biden.” At this time, Joe Biden is months away from becoming chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and launching his second bid for president. The unnamed executive who spoke to Politico charged that the purchase of the fund was designed to work around campaign-finance laws: “According to the executive, James Biden made it clear that he viewed the fund as a way to take money from rich foreigners who could not legally give money to his older brother or his campaign account. “We’ve got investors lined up in a line of 747s filled with cash ready to invest in this company,” the executive remembers James Biden saying.”
Incidentally, this same article also points out the following:
An outside audit of Paradigm by the firm of Briggs, Bunting & Dougherty finds a “failure to reconcile Investment Advisors reimbursement of fund expenses, failure to reconcile and review cash account on a timely basis, and failure to reconcile and review various other accounts on a timely basis.”
And while the National Review article does an exhaustive look into both Biden, Paradigm’s and Seneca Global Advisors, the real focus is on China, which concludes that its “research indicates the Biden family and associates went on to execute a string of business deals with China and the CPC for nearly a decade.”
Fast-forwarding through the report, we learn about a curious entity called Thornton consulting:
Shortly after BIDEN was named as Obama’s running mate in August, HUNTER founded Seneca Global Advisors and the Beijing government approved the incorporation of Thornton Beijing – Solebury Thornton（Beijing）Consulting Co Ltd. On October 21, 2007 LIN, LAKIS and ARCHER visited HNA Group in Beijing, this time with ARCHER, acting as COO of Rosemont Solebury Capital, and had dinner with Chen. On the same day, the Thornton delegation also met with officials from PKU.
HNA, which was originally an airline carrier, is of course best known for becoming a major Chinese conglomerate which in 2015-2016 was the most acquisitive Chinese company involved in a flurry of multi-billion global M&A, including US electronics distributor Ingram Micro, CIT Group’s aircraft leasing business, a 25% stake in Hilton, a 5% stake in Deutsche Bank, and is widely regarded as backed by or ultimately owned by Wang Qishan, then former vice premier (2008 – 2013).
Wang is currently China’s Vice-President and a close aide of Xi. According to the report:
“HNA has allegedly used various methods to bribe targets in the past, including hosting parties and supplying targets with young women. It is unknown if Thornton representatives were targeted in this manner at Chen’s dinner, but if any nighttime entertainment was provided, it was probably recorded by HNA/Chinese intelligence (as is commonplace in China).”
The following day a Thornton/Rosemont Solebury/SLLF delegation, including LIN, ARCHER, and LAKIS, met with Peng Fang, Director General of the NPC’s Foreign Affairs Committee , which is responsible for communicating with foreign affairs committees from other countries.74 The meeting was held in the Great Hall of the People, China’s most prestigious state building used to host legislative and ceremonial activities. In other words, the Thornton delegation met with a senior Chinese foreign affairs official at China’s most famous state building, in a meeting which would have been approved by or informed to China’s top leaders. This was clearly not a business meeting, but (at least in the eyes of the Chinese contingent), rather a nation to nation, state to state meeting.
Fast-forwarding to 2010 (the report has all the interim details), we read that between April 7-9, 2010, “HUNTER was introduced by LIN to China’s most powerful government controlled financial institutions.” Here the report notes that “while the English news item is no longer accessible on Thornton’s website, but the Chinese version remains.”
Only that’s no longer the case, because since the publication of this report, it appears that someone had a keen interest in quickly removing that particular URL as can be seen here. However, courtesy of the wayback machine, we can see what the Thornton consulting website, which was summarily taken down in the past 3-4 weeks, had to say as of this Sept 26 (after which the website just disappears) snapshot:
The report continues that according to Thornton’s news item, HUNTER was introduced as the chairman of Rosemont Seneca and the second son of the US Vice-President, and the purpose of his visit was to “deepen mutual understanding and explore the possibility of commercial cooperation”. LIN had delivered HUNTER to the Chinese for discussions on his pay-off.
Three days later, BIDEN met with then Chinese President Hu Jintao in Washington as part of the Nuclear Security Summit. At the time Hunter was just barely 40 years old.
The Secret Service protects, by statute, the president and vice president and their families.84 As the son of a sitting Vice-President, HUNTER will have had secret service protection during his business trip to China. Freedom of Information Act request records show that HUNTER visited China from April 6 to April 9, 2010. Unusually, for such a high-profile visit, there were no media reports in English or Chinese media. Therefore, his father BIDEN (even if unaware personally, which is unlikely given how close to each other they live and work), will have been aware of his son’s business trip to Beijing through official channels. Given the sensitive nature of US-China relations, HUNTER would have been closely watched by various Chinese securities agencies during the trip.
The report then pivots to dad Joe, who August 18, 2011 held talks with Xi, then Chinese Vice-President, during a five-day trip. At the meeting Biden said the US “fully understands that Taiwan and Tibet issues are China’s core interests, the U.S. will continue to resolutely pursue the one China policy, the U.S. does not support ‘Taiwan’s independence’, and the U.S. fully recognizes that Tibet is an inalienable part of the People’s Republic of China.” Biden’s words are verbatim from China’s official standpoint on Taiwan and Tibet. Additionally, Biden said he “has spent more time in private meetings with Xi than any other world leader, including 25 hours of private dinners with Xi and one interpreter.”
A few days later BIDEN delivered a speech at Sichuan University, where he said:
“China’s development and prosperity are in line with the interest of the U.S”, in comments on the university’s website. The Obama Whitehouse records published a transcript of the speech during which BIDEN said “Let me be clear — let me be clear: I believed in 1979 and said so and I believe now that a rising China is a positive development, not only for the people of China but for the United States and the world as a whole…In order to cement this robust partnership, we have to go beyond close ties between Washington and Beijing, which we’re working on every day, go beyond it to include all levels of government, go beyond it to include classrooms and laboratories, athletic fields and boardrooms.”
A few months after Biden’s Sichuan trip, Archer and Lin worked with a Sichuan Chemical, a large Sichuan state-owned company to set-up a major potash deal (that never materialized) for Prospect Global, a listed US company at the time, that soon delisted and no longer appears to be in business. According to the report, “it is unclear if the purpose of the deal was to just deliver Archer millions of dollars in compensation, to talk up the Prospect Global stock, or if it resulted in Sichuan Chemical transferring millions of US dollars to the US (either for capital flight purposes or to be directed to US politicians such as BIDEN and KERRY).”
The story only gets more interesting from here, and focuses on the arrival on the scene in 2013 of none other than John Kerry, who is intimately tied to Hunter (and thus Joe Biden) via Rosemont Seneca’s predecessor Rosemont Capital, established in 2005 by Chris Heinz and Devon Archer who were roommates at Yale University. The firm was named after a Heinz family farm, and the capital was from Heinz, heir to the Heinz food processing empire, and step-son of John Kerry, a former Yale graduate who at the time was the senator for Massachusetts. On June 25 2009, Hunter Biden co-founded Rosemont Seneca with Archer and Heinz; the company’s offices in Georgetown were located two miles from both Biden’s office in the White House and his residence at the Naval Observatory, and one mile from Kerry’s Georgetown mansion.
We will let readers do their own digging but we will highlight one section from the report, detailing how the Hunter Biden received Chinese state money…
… and it involved the creation of BHR, which served as the entity facilitating the bulk of Chinese fund flows into the Bidens, as Hunter’s initial BHR stake, purchased for just $400,000, is now likely be worth approximately $50 million. From the report:
On December 4, 2013 HUNTER accompanies BIDEN on his official trip to China. HUNTER told the New Yorker that he met Li during the December 2013 trip but described it as social encounter. “How do I go to Beijing, halfway around the world, and not see them (Li) for a cup of coffee?” he said. HUNTER arranged a quick meeting in the lobby of the American delegation’s hotel in Beijing between BIDEN and Li, the BHR CEO. This was followed by a “social meeting” between HUNTER and Li, according to reports by the New Yorker. The trip by HUNTER coincided with an official trip by the Ukranian President Viktor Yanukovych. Many business deals promoting trade and investment between China and Ukraine were signed during this trip. Some deals between Chinese and Ukranian firms have ties to firms HUNTER is known to be involved with such as the Bohai Commodity Exchange, owned by the same local governments that own a part of Bohai Industrial Investment. On 16 December 2013, a week after the BIDEN and HUNTER visit to Beijing, BHR was incorporated in Shanghai, with its registered address in the Shanghai Free Trade Zone, according to State Market Regulatory Administration records. HUNTER’s profile no longer appears on the BHR website. One archived version lists him as a director on November 16, 2015. BIDEN is referred to in the profile as a managing partner of Rosement Seneca Partners and a consultant at Boies Schiller Flexner LPP . According to a statement by BIDEN’s lawyer George Mesires on October 13, 2019, BIDEN was of counsel with Boies Schiller and advising Ukraine-linked Burisma Holdings Limited on its corporate reform initiatives. He is also listed on Chinese PE websites where he is also referred to by the Chinese name ‘Hengte Baideng’ (亨特·拜登) SMRA records show HUNTER purchased 10% of BHR on October 23, 2017 (via his investment vehicle Skaneateles LLC) and was a director until April 20, 2020. Previously he was invested via other holding companies. BHR’s current shareholders are Bohai Capital (30%), Shanghai Ample Harvest Financial Services Group Co Ltd (上海丰实金融服务（集团）有限公司) (30%), Angju Investment (10%), Thornton (10%), Ulysses Diversified Inc (10%), Skaneateles LLC (10%). According to Chinese corporate records, the original owner of the US stake in BHR was Rosemont, Seneca Thornton, LLC with a 30% shareholding. This was split just under two years later into what is believed to be 20%/10% holding between Rosemont, Seneca, Bohai LLC and Thornton LLC. This was later changed again splitting Rosemont, Seneca, Bohai into Skanletes and Ulyssees. As Rosemont is the HEINZ KERRY vehicle and Seneca is the Biden vehicle, it is believed that the final split allowed HEINZ to exit the partnership divesting to ARCHER.
In summary, the Chinese government funded a business that it co-owned along with the son of a sitting US vice president and Secretary of State who was with high probability directly or indirectly invested in the holding company .
But if China funded a business, what was the value for Hunter? Here the report goes into detail calculating that the entity likely had $6.5BN in AUM, generating $100-$150MM in annual revenue, and if one day the business was sold, it could do so for ~$300 million (see page 14-15).
This returns the entire partnership to the fundamental problem: two sons of the Vice President of the United States and the Secretary of State willingly entered into a financial partnership with a government their fathers were supposed to deal with in an impartial manner .
Evidence indicates that the Secretary of State was directly or indirectly financially invested in his sons firms and benefitted from asset purchases made by firms directly linked to his son. HUNTER invested in a firm that by his own words has had almost nothing to do with, managed by state government with departments dedicated to elite capture, focusing on state enterprise deals in a foreign country, but has grown to manage $6.5 billion in assets and likely realize yearly revenue of $100-150 million. The ultimate sale price for his stake or the partnership would be whatever the Chinese Communist Party decides his partnership stake is worth.
And this is where the Typhoon Investigations report, the Biden presidential campaign, and Hunter’s “laptop from hell” all converge:
On May 2, 2019 BIDEN remarked, “They can’t figure out how they’re going to deal with the corruption that exists within the system. I mean, you know, they’re not bad folks, folks. But guess what, they’re not, they’re not competition for us.” On May 3, it was reported that BHR [where Hunter was an investor] invested in Face++, a Chinese surveillance company which develops facial-recognition software for law enforcement in China, including targeting ethnic minority Muslims Xinjiang. In September 2019, BIDEN said this of HUNTER’s business deals: “I have never spoken to my son about his overseas business dealings,”
Still, while Hunter benefiting monetarily from deals with China may be unethical, it’s hardly illegal (all else equal). Where things get dicey is if to curry favor with China, and continue the freeflow of China-sourced cash, Hunter or his father, is betraying his fellow Americans. Is this what happened? Read on and decide:
Hunter Cultivated by Chinese Intelligence Our research shows that for more than decade, HUNTER has been personally targeted by China’s intelligence apparatus and its various ‘foreign relations agencies’. A U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs published on September 23, 2020, details HUNTER’s recent payoffs from a PLA linked tycoon, Ye Jianming , chairman of Chinese energy company CEFC China Energy Company Limited . YE’s first break came when he purchased a small piston factory that supplied the Chinese army, after which he was a proxy for PLA officials, based on a New York Times article, and our proprietary research of the PLA’s logistics network. In the early 2000s, YE was the deputy secretary of CAIFC, according to his CEFC biography. As explained, the CAIFC is a PLA front organization that has dual roles of intelligence collection and propaganda work, and worked with LIN and the SLLF a few years after YE left the organization. YE also knows Xu, who was a CAIFC special advisor, and arranged for LIN and HUNTER’s access to the highest levels of government. In line with his intelligence role, YE arranged events that brought together retired American and Chinese military officers. In 2015, YE arranged for an aide to meet with HUNTER and in May 2017, YE met privately with HUNTER at a Miami hotel. The purpose of the meeting was for HUNTER to use his contacts to help “identify investment opportunities for Ye’s company CEFC China Energy,” and afterwards YE gave HUNTER a 2.8-carat diamond. According to HSGAC’s Confidential Document 9, YE and his associate Dong Gongwen, applied to a bank and opened credit lines for a business named Hudson West III LLC, giving HUNTER, his brother James (and James’ wife Sarah Biden), credit cards which the Bidens used to buy extravagant items. The HSGAC report details a series of transfers and transactions worth millions of US dollars between CEFC, Hudson West and the Bidens. This – 11 years after HUNTER and James denied selling their political connections to foreigners for personal gain. In March 2018, YE was detained and put under investigation on suspicion of economic crimes. CEFC was then declared bankrupt in March 2020 alleged to have faked deals and bribed foreign governments for oil rights. Some of these were facilitated by Patrick Ho , CPPCC member and the former Hong Kong Secretary for Home Affairs in Tung’s administration. On November 18, 2017, Ho was arrested at the John F. Kennedy International Airport on bribery and money-laundering charges, and called HUNTER for legal assistance.132 HUNTER later told The New Yorker that he doesn’t see Ye as a “shady character at all,” and he characterized the outcome as “bad luck.”
The report’s conclusion:
Whether he understands it or not, it is apparent that HUNTER has been compromised by Chinese intelligence, who most likely have detailed files on HUNTER’s time spent in China, encompassing his personal meetings and any other activities. Furthermore, YE is associated with the PLA’s General Political Department, which directly opposes the US military in Asia, creating a serious conflict of interest for his father BIDEN.
Putting it all together, the report concludes that the Chinese influence operation targeting Biden and Heinz, the two most important people in US foreign policy under the Obama administration, and their children can now be tied between a small group of organizations and individuals.
“Dating back to Biden’s time in the Senate meeting with Yang, this was never from the Chinese perspective anything less than an official influence operation. Everything surrounding HUNTER took place with official Chinese organizations known to engage in and tasked with influence operations.
Of course, in exchange for funneling tens of millions to Hunter (and, indirectly according to recent allegations, his father), China also got something: this:
Over time BIDEN’s approach to China changed significantly. Under the Clinton and early part of the Bush administrations he could be considered moderately hawkish on China. However, during his time in the Obama administration as one of the key people tasked with China policy, his views became very dovish. Interestingly, BIDEN repeatedly is using preferred CCP language in describing approaches to relations or specific issues. The CCPIT specifically works with businessmen to convince their home governments it is in their best interest to avoid damaging measures such as sanctions to China . Other organizations mentioned work specifically to engage in elite capture or influence politicians or governments. The presence of all these institutions collectively strongly imply this was an influence operation by the Chinese state and whether directly or indirectly, BIDEN shifted his view from hawkish to dovish after HUNTER began receiving entrée into Chinese elite political and financial institutions.
Finally, going back to Chris Balding who originally published the report, here is his own brief summary of everything laid out in the 64 page report:
Beginning just before Joe Biden’s ascendancy to the Vice Presidency, Hunter Biden was travelling to Beijing meeting with Chinese financial institutions and political figures would ultimately become his investors. Finalized in 2013, the investment partnership included money from the Chinese government, social security, and major state-owned banks a veritable who’s who of Chinese state finance. It is not simply the state money that should cause concern but the structures and deals that took place. Most investment in specific projects came from state owned entities and flowed into state backed projects or enterprises. Even the deals speak to the worst of cronyism. The Hunter Biden investment firm share of a copper mine in the Congo was guaranteed with assets put at risk by the larger copper company to ensure deal flow to Hunter’s firm. In another instance, Bank of China working on an IPO in Hong Kong gave its share allocation to the BHR investment partnership. They were able to do this because even though the Hunter Biden firm completed no notable work on the IPO, it is counted as a subsidiary of the Bank of China. The Hunter Biden Chinese investment partnership is literally invested in by the Chinese state and a subsidiary of the Bank of China owned by the Chinese Ministry of Finance. The entire arrangement speaks to Chinese state interests. Meetings were held at locations that in China speak to the welcoming of foreign dignitaries or state to state relations. The Chinese organizations surrounding Hunter Biden are known intelligence and influence operatives to the United States government. The innocuous names like Chinese People’s Institute for Foreign Affairs exist to “…carry out government-directed policies and cooperative initiatives with influential foreigners without being perceived as a formal part of the Chinese government.” Interestingly the CPIFA is under the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. When the investment partnership was struck in 2013, the Minister of Foreign Affairs was Yang Jiechi. Yang would have been very familiar with Hunter Biden from his days in Washington as the Chinese Ambassador to the United States from 2001 to 2005 during which he met regularly with Joe Biden chairing the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Today the same individual who oversaw institutions helping shepherd Hunter’s investment partnership as the Minister of Foreign Affairs is Xi Jinping’s right hand man on foreign affairs and member of the powerful Politburo. Most worrying is the financial leverage this gives the Chinese state over a direct member of the Biden family. Despite the widely reported $1-1.5 billion of investment the reality is likely much higher. A co-founder of the investment firm reports the total assets under management as $6.5 billion. While this number cannot be completely replicated, given that two deal alone were worth in excess of $1.6 billion this number is not unrealistic at all. A 2% annual fee on assets under management would generate $130 million annually. Add in the 20% fee on capital gains the firm would recognize and it is not difficult to see Hunter’s stake being worth in excess of $50 million. According to Hunter’s attorney, he did not invest his $400,000 in the company until 2017. Even assuming the veracity of this statement, this raises a major problem. Founded in 2013, the firm had large amounts of revenue and assets under management by 2017. In other words, his $400,000 stake would have already been worth far more than what he paid for it. This paltry $400,000 investment worth more than $50 million now would have realized a gain of more than 12,400% in three years. The difficulty in eluding these concerns is their documentability by anyone who cares to look. There is no potential for hacking because it is all public record in China. Any journalist who wishes to look can go review IPO prospectuses, news reports, or corporate records. There is no secret method for discovering this data other than actually looking. There is simply no way to avoid the reality that Hunter Biden was granted a 10% stake worth far in excess of what he paid for a firm that is literally operated and owned by the Chinese state. I did not vote for Donald Trump in 2016 and have significant concerns about his policies in areas like immigration. Having lived in China for nine years throughout the Xi regimes construction of concentration camps and having witnessed first hand their use of influence and intelligence operations, the Biden links worry me profoundly. Whether Joe Biden personally knew the details, a very untenable position, it is simply political malpractice to not be aware of the details of these financial arrangements. These documentable financial links simply cannot be wished away.
And this is why Beijing is desperate to get Joe Biden – whose son got extremely wealthy thanks to China’s influence peddling operation for the past a decade- into the White House.
You can read the full report here (pdf link)
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southfront--2020-10-23--Your Support Is Vital To Keep SF Alive!

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southfront--2020-10-23--Armenia Says Peacekeepers “Welcome” In Nagorno-Karabakh Amid Developing Azerbaijani Advance

On October 22nd , the Artsakh Ministry of Defense released a new video purportedly showing Syrian militants in Nagorno-Karabakh , fighting alongside the Azerbaijan Armed Forces .
“ Various sabotage groups of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan penetrate into different settlements in the front-line zone trying to create panic , often just take pictures , sometimes they burn houses in settlements .
These enemy groups are very small in number – after one counterattack , they run away from these settlements , do not return for a long time .
The brightest evidence of this is Hadrut and Fizuli , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hovhannisyan said .
He also said that battles were raging along the Artsakh-Iranian border .
He also claimed that Azerbaijani forces tried to advance west , north and northwest but were suppressed .
A new video was released showing presumed losses by the Azerbaijan side .
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan claimed that UN peacekeepers being brought in was a desirable scenario .
“ The introduction of peacekeepers is acceptable to us .
I can say that Azerbaijan ’ s views on the composition of peacekeepers will not coincide with Armenia ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talk about compromises , then the presence of Russian peacekeepers can also become a compromise version .
The Russian Federation has good relations with both Azerbaijan and Armenia .
It is very important to reckon with the views of other regional countries , it is important that specific peacekeeping forces stabilize the region , and not vice versa.
” So far , according to officially released numbers , 900 Armenian soldiers have lost their lives fighting on the frontline .
An Azerbaijani prisoner of war spoke about Turkish specialists who prepared soldiers of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ According to him , they trained soldiers of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces for 10-15 days .
The Iranian Telegram channel Azariha showed the destruction of houses of residents of Iran ’ s border settlements caused by the actions of Azerbaijani troops placed along the Iranian borders .
On the other hand , Azerbaijan sends drones to Iran and has deployed militants on the Iranian border .
Isn ’ t it time for the Iranian army to declare a buffer zone in the depths of Nagorno-Karabakh ?
” , The Telegram channel wrote .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ day on October 22 and on the night of October 23 , the combat operations continued with varying intensity in the Aghdere , Fizuli-Hadrut-Jabrayil , and Gubadli directions .
The Armenian forces fired at Baku ’ s positions using small arms , mortars , and gun-howitzers .
“ Heavy strikes were inflicted on the armed forces of Armenia in the Fizuli , Jabrayil , and Gubadli directions of the front , several enemy strongholds were destroyed , important territories and high grounds were liberated as a result of the operations conducted by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military infrastructure of the enemy along the entire front were irreparably damaged .
There is a shortage of military equipment , weapons , and ammunition , as well as food in the enemy units .
The enemy practically lost control of the troops .
Due to the lack of regular army units to defend combat positions , civilians are forcibly brought in to replace them.
” Azerbaijani President Ilham Alyiev claimed that the entire Azerbaijan-Iran border had come under Azerbaijani control .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Armenians Claim They Shot Down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Photos )

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On October 22nd, the Artsakh Ministry of Defense released a new video purportedly showing Syrian militants in Nagorno-Karabakh, fighting alongside the Azerbaijan Armed Forces.
“Various sabotage groups of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan penetrate into different settlements in the front-line zone trying to create panic, often just take pictures, sometimes they burn houses in settlements. These enemy groups are very small in number – after one counterattack, they run away from these settlements, do not return for a long time. The brightest evidence of this is Hadrut and Fizuli,” Armenian Ministry of Defense representative Artsrun Hovhannisyan said.
He also said that battles were raging along the Artsakh-Iranian border.
“Fierce battles are taking place on the Artsakh-Iran border. Full control of Azerbaijan is out of the question. If their troops see the Araks River in some narrow places, this does not mean full control,” Artsrun Hovhannisyan said.
He also claimed that Azerbaijani forces tried to advance west, north and northwest but were suppressed.
A new video was released showing presumed losses by the Azerbaijan side.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan claimed that UN peacekeepers being brought in was a desirable scenario.
“The introduction of peacekeepers is acceptable to us. I can say that Azerbaijan’s views on the composition of peacekeepers will not coincide with Armenia’s views on this issue. If we talk about compromises, then the presence of Russian peacekeepers can also become a compromise version. The Russian Federation has good relations with both Azerbaijan and Armenia. It is very important to reckon with the views of other regional countries, it is important that specific peacekeeping forces stabilize the region, and not vice versa.”
So far, according to officially released numbers, 900 Armenian soldiers have lost their lives fighting on the frontline.
An Azerbaijani prisoner of war spoke about Turkish specialists who prepared soldiers of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces for war.
According to him, they trained soldiers of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces for 10-15 days.
“They are still there,” he said.
The Iranian Telegram channel Azariha showed the destruction of houses of residents of Iran’s border settlements caused by the actions of Azerbaijani troops placed along the Iranian borders.
“Instead of deploying its positions in the north-south direction, the Baku forces turned to the east-west direction.
On the other hand, Azerbaijan sends drones to Iran and has deployed militants on the Iranian border.
Isn’t it time for the Iranian army to declare a buffer zone in the depths of Nagorno-Karabakh?”, The Telegram channel wrote.
On the Azerbaijan side, during the day on October 22 and on the night of October 23, the combat operations continued with varying intensity in the Aghdere, Fizuli-Hadrut-Jabrayil, and Gubadli directions.
The Armenian forces fired at Baku’s positions using small arms, mortars, and gun-howitzers.
“Heavy strikes were inflicted on the armed forces of Armenia in the Fizuli, Jabrayil, and Gubadli directions of the front, several enemy strongholds were destroyed, important territories and high grounds were liberated as a result of the operations conducted by the Azerbaijan Army. The main resources and military infrastructure of the enemy along the entire front were irreparably damaged. There is a shortage of military equipment, weapons, and ammunition, as well as food in the enemy units. The enemy practically lost control of the troops. Due to the lack of regular army units to defend combat positions, civilians are forcibly brought in to replace them.”
Azerbaijani President Ilham Alyiev claimed that the entire Azerbaijan-Iran border had come under Azerbaijani control.
“With the liberation of Aghband settlement, taking full control over the state border between Azerbaijan and the Islamic Republic of Iran was ensured. I congratulate the people of Azerbaijan and Iran on this occasion. Long live the victorious Azerbaijani Army!” President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has made a post on his official Twitter account.
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southfront--2020-10-23--Armenians Lost Border With Iran. Advancing Azerbaijani Forces Are About To Reach Lachin Corridor (Ma

Armenians Lost Border With Iran. Advancing Azerbaijani Forces Are About To Reach Lachin Corridor (Maps, Videos)

The Armenian defense in the southern part of the Nagorno-Karabakh region seems to be collapsing as the advancing Azerbaijani forces are about to reach the strategic Lachin corridor .
On October 23 , Azerbaijani troops were filmed near the village of Muradxanlı , which is located in about 15 km from the strategic area .
Even if this Azerbaijani unit was just a field recognizance and the main forces of the Turkish-Azerbaijani bloc still have to overcome the Armenian resistance to reach the area , the fact of the Azerbaijani presence there marks the hard situation on the frontline for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Lachin corridor will mark the de-facto lose of the Karabakh war for the Armenian side as the main logistical line between Armenia and the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic will be broken .
Azerbaijani troops are in the area of the village of Muradxanlı : Vestiges of the Bayraktar TB2 drone downed by Armenian forces : Meanwhile , President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev announced that his forces took full control of the Azerbaijani-Iranian border after capturing the village of Aghband .
Earlier , the Azerbaijani leader reported via Twitter that Azerbaijani forces have captured a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ south of the Karabakh region : Claims of Azerbaijan regarding Armenian strikes on settlements and towns outside the contested region : The Armenian military denies the collapse of its defense lines in the south and claims that Azerbaijani units appearing on video are just sabotage parties .
According to the Armenian side , various Azerbaijan troops tried to advance in the western , northern and northwestern directions , but all of these offensive attempts were repelled .
The Azerbaijani military allegedly suffered heavy losses .
The Armenian side insists that Hadrut and Fuzuli @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hands of Azerbaijan .
It insists that various units of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan penetrate into different settlements in the front-line zone trying to create panic and make selfies there .
These groups , according to Armenian media , are very small and often run away from Armenian troops .
The optimism of Armenian officials are at least surprising .
Forces of Azerbaijan continue to take control of settlements and villages in the south of Karabakh .
Most of them are empty as the locals ( ethnic Armenians ) know well what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the south of Karabakh is already lost for Armenia .
The Azerbaijani advance along the border with Iran through the relatively flat ground ( if one compares it with the rest of Karabakh ) appeared to be a success .
Now the Azerbaijani military and its allies are working to fully secure the border with Iran and set conditions for operation to capture the Lachin corridor .
Armenian troops are engaged in fighting with the Azerbaijanis in southern Karabakh ( 18+ ) : MORE ON THE TOPIC : • New ‘ Humanitarian @ @ @ @ @ @ @

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The Armenian defense in the southern part of the Nagorno-Karabakh region seems to be collapsing as the advancing Azerbaijani forces are about to reach the strategic Lachin corridor. On October 23, Azerbaijani troops were filmed near the village of Muradxanlı, which is located in about 15 km from the strategic area. Even if this Azerbaijani unit was just a field recognizance and the main forces of the Turkish-Azerbaijani bloc still have to overcome the Armenian resistance to reach the area, the fact of the Azerbaijani presence there marks the hard situation on the frontline for the Armenians.
The cutting off of the Lachin corridor will mark the de-facto lose of the Karabakh war for the Armenian side as the main logistical line between Armenia and the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic will be broken.
HINT: The Lachin corridor is a mountain pass within the de jure borders of Azerbaijan, forming the shortest route between Armenia and the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (Republic of Artsakh).
Azerbaijani troops are in the area of the village of Muradxanlı:
Armenian troops captured by Azerbaijani forces:
Vestiges of the Bayraktar TB2 drone downed by Armenian forces:
Meanwhile, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev announced that his forces took full control of the Azerbaijani-Iranian border after capturing the village of Aghband.
“With the liberation of Aghband settlement, taking full control over the state border between Azerbaijan and the Islamic Republic of Iran was ensured. I congratulate the people of Azerbaijan and Iran on this occasion. Long live the victorious Azerbaijani Army!” Aliyev wrote on his official Twitter account.
Earlier, the Azerbaijani leader reported via Twitter that Azerbaijani forces have captured a number of villages and settlements in the south of the Karabakh region:
“The victorious Azerbaijani Army has liberated Kollugishlag, Malatkeshin, Kand Zangilan, Genlik, Valigulubayli, Garadara, Chopadara, Tatar, Tiri, Amirkhanli, Gargulu, Bartaz, Dallakli villages and Aghband settlement of Zangilan district from occupation. Long live Azerbaijani Army! Karabakh is Azerbaijan!” “The victorious Azerbaijani Army has liberated Mollavali, Yukhari Rafadinli, Ashaghi Rafadinli villages of Fuzuli district, Sirik, Shikhlar, Mastalibayli, Darzili villages of Jabrayil district from occupation. Long live Azerbaijani Army! Karabakh is Azerbaijan!”
Claims of Azerbaijan regarding Armenian strikes on settlements and towns outside the contested region:
The Armenian military denies the collapse of its defense lines in the south and claims that Azerbaijani units appearing on video are just sabotage parties. According to the Armenian side, various Azerbaijan troops tried to advance in the western, northern and northwestern directions, but all of these offensive attempts were repelled. The Azerbaijani military allegedly suffered heavy losses.
Active combat operations continue along the entire frontline. @Karabakh_MoD is currently fighting in the villages of Shekher and Jivan in the Martuni region. The #Azerbaijan'is have suffered considerable losses of manpower@Pres_Artsakh spokesperson Vahram Poghosyan — Armenian Unified Infocenter (@ArmenianUnified) October 22, 2020
The Armenian side insists that Hadrut and Fuzuli towns are in fact not in the hands of Azerbaijan. It insists that various units of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan penetrate into different settlements in the front-line zone trying to create panic and make selfies there. These groups, according to Armenian media, are very small and often run away from Armenian troops. The optimism of Armenian officials are at least surprising.
Forces of Azerbaijan continue to take control of settlements and villages in the south of Karabakh. Most of them are empty as the locals (ethnic Armenians) know well what fate they could face. It seems that the south of Karabakh is already lost for Armenia. The Azerbaijani advance along the border with Iran through the relatively flat ground (if one compares it with the rest of Karabakh) appeared to be a success. Now the Azerbaijani military and its allies are working to fully secure the border with Iran and set conditions for operation to capture the Lachin corridor.
New video showing Syrian fighters in Azerbaijan published by the Armenian MoD. You can see them leaving their wounded behind and not helping them.
The video ends by saying all those seen in the video were neutralized. pic.twitter.com/eTPdTFzECV — 301?? (@301_AD) October 22, 2020
Armenian troops are engaged in fighting with the Azerbaijanis in southern Karabakh (18+):
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southfront--2020-10-23--Weapons Of Karabakh War: Atmos 200 155mm Self-Propelled Howitzer

The Atmos 2000 155mm self-propelled howitzer is produced by Soltam Systems of Haifa , Israel .
The company is part of Elbit Systems .
The Atmos artillery system is available with 155mm 39 , 45 and 52 calibre barrels .
The development and test phase of the program has been successfully completed and the system has entered full-scale production .
As an option , the Atmos 2000 155mm 45 calibres can also be equipped with a Russian 130mm M-46 gun .
The Atmos artillery system weighs 22,000kg .
The system is transportable in a C-130 Hercules medium transport aircraft and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order to be relocated over long distances .
The Atmos 2000 began trials with the Israeli Defence Force in 2006 .
The ATMOS can be mounted on any adapted high-mobility 6×6 or 8×8 truck chassis preferred by the customer .
The protected cabin of the ATMOS is designed for a crew of 2-6 personnel , a driver , a commander , and an additional three to four crew members along with all personal equipment and small arms .
The cabin is equipped with an air conditioning system that is capable of both heating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ATMOS can be applied to modernization of legacy towed guns , incorporating advanced new technologies like INS , MVR , ballistic computers , C4I , hydraulics and electrical drives .
The Atmos 200 system uses all NATO standard 155mm ammunition .
The 155mm 52 calibre Atmos has demonstrated a maximum target range of 41km , using an Extended Range Full Bore Base Bleed ( ERFB-BB ) projectile .
The range using a NATO L15 high explosive projectile is 30km .
Atmos also fires the older standard M107 High Explosive projectile and has a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 27 projectiles and charges .
Its main combat tasks include neutralization of sheltered and unsheltered enemy war materiel ( including amour material ) , neutralization of enemy manpower , neutralization of fortified and non-fortified point and area targets .
The 155 mm ERFB long range artillery projectile family is representing a new generation of long-range artillery projectile designed for using with modern towed and self-propelled 155 mm weapons with 39 , 45 and 52 calibre barrel length .
The M02 155 mm ERFB/BB projectile design includes base bleed ( BB ) unit family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ using of efficient composite propellant charge .
With using of standard BB unit ( in production ) max .
range is reaching 42 km , while with more advanced BB unit max .
range is reaching of more than 44 km .
The artillery system is operated by a crew of four or six , including two loaders .
When the firing position site has been selected , two large hydraulically operated stabilisation spades are lowered at the rear of the vehicle on either side .
Target information is supplied by a surveillance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Atmos 2000 unit .
The computerized Advanced Fire and Control System ( AFCS ) fitted on the Atmos 2000 includes navigation and aiming systems and ballistic computation system .
The AFCS displays the target information , selects the gun traverse and elevation and lays the weapon on the target .
The weapon elevation and traverse is hydraulically operated .
The weapon system can also be operated manually .
Elbit officially announced , on March 29th 2019 , that it had been awarded a $ 125 million ( NIS 460 million ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to supply fully automatic self-propelled howitzer gun systems to the Israeli Defense Forces The contract , which also includes the supply of training simulators .
It will be performed over a 12-year period .
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The Atmos 2000 155mm self-propelled howitzer is produced by Soltam Systems of Haifa, Israel.
The company is part of Elbit Systems.
The Atmos artillery system is available with 155mm 39, 45 and 52 calibre barrels.
The development and test phase of the program has been successfully completed and the system has entered full-scale production.
As an option, the Atmos 2000 155mm 45 calibres can also be equipped with a Russian 130mm M-46 gun.
The Atmos artillery system weighs 22,000kg. The system is transportable in a C-130 Hercules medium transport aircraft and does not require heavy equipment transporters in order to be relocated over long distances.
The Atmos 2000 began trials with the Israeli Defence Force in 2006.
The ATMOS can be mounted on any adapted high-mobility 6×6 or 8×8 truck chassis preferred by the customer.
The protected cabin of the ATMOS is designed for a crew of 2-6 personnel, a driver, a commander, and an additional three to four crew members along with all personal equipment and small arms.
The cabin is equipped with an air conditioning system that is capable of both heating and cooling.
The concept behind the ATMOS can be applied to modernization of legacy towed guns, incorporating advanced new technologies like INS, MVR, ballistic computers, C4I, hydraulics and electrical drives.
The Atmos 200 system uses all NATO standard 155mm ammunition.
The 155mm 52 calibre Atmos has demonstrated a maximum target range of 41km, using an Extended Range Full Bore Base Bleed (ERFB-BB) projectile. The range using a NATO L15 high explosive projectile is 30km. Atmos also fires the older standard M107 High Explosive projectile and has a range of 22km. Atmos 2000 carries 27 projectiles and charges.
Its main combat tasks include neutralization of sheltered and unsheltered enemy war materiel (including amour material), neutralization of enemy manpower, neutralization of fortified and non-fortified point and area targets.
The 155 mm ERFB long range artillery projectile family is representing a new generation of long-range artillery projectile designed for using with modern towed and self-propelled 155 mm weapons with 39, 45 and 52 calibre barrel length.
The M02 155 mm ERFB/BB projectile design includes base bleed (BB) unit family providinig important range increase, due to using of efficient composite propellant charge. With using of standard BB unit (in production) max. range is reaching 42 km, while with more advanced BB unit max. range is reaching of more than 44 km.
The artillery system is operated by a crew of four or six, including two loaders.
When the firing position site has been selected, two large hydraulically operated stabilisation spades are lowered at the rear of the vehicle on either side.
Target information is supplied by a surveillance patrol or by a Forward Observation Officer to the Atmos 2000 unit. The computerized Advanced Fire and Control System (AFCS) fitted on the Atmos 2000 includes navigation and aiming systems and ballistic computation system.
The AFCS displays the target information, selects the gun traverse and elevation and lays the weapon on the target. The weapon elevation and traverse is hydraulically operated. The weapon system can also be operated manually.
Elbit officially announced, on March 29th 2019, that it had been awarded a $125 million (NIS 460 million) contract from the Israeli Ministry of Defense to supply fully automatic self-propelled howitzer gun systems to the Israeli Defense Forces The contract, which also includes the supply of training simulators. It will be performed over a 12-year period.
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southfront--2020-10-23--Putin: Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict Started With Brutal Crimes Against Armenian People

Nagorno-Karabakh conflict started with “ brutal crimes ” against Armenian people , Russia ’ s President Vladimir Putin said on October 22 in a televised speech in “ Valday ” Discussion Club .
“ This conflict started not as an interstate conflict or a struggle for territories , but as an ethnic confrontation , ” the Public Radio of Armenia quoted the Russian President as saying , “ unfortunately , this is a fact when cruel crimes were committed against the Armenian people in Sumgait and then in Nagorno-Karabakh.
” Putin added that no one is interested in the settlement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Moreover , he noted that Russia doesn ’ t share Turkey ’ s stand on the issue .
The Russian President also revealed that almost 5,000 people have died since the outbreak of the clashes in Nagorno-Karabakh on September 27 .
Putin said he is in constant communication with both Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijan ’ s President Ilham Aliyev .
The Russian capital , Moscow , is hosting direct talks between the foreign ministers of Armenian and Azerbaijan .
Two humanitarian ceasefires have been agreed upon , thus far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Russia is playing a leading role in Nagorno-Karabakh peace talks .
Nevertheless , a settlement doesn ’ t appear to be near .
MORE ON THIS TOPIC : • More Than 30 Killed In Fierce Battle With ISIS In Syria ’ s Eastern Hama • Syrian Army , SDF Repelled Another Turkish Attack On Ain Issa In Northern Raqqa ( Videos )

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Nagorno-Karabakh conflict started with “brutal crimes” against Armenian people, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin said on October 22 in a televised speech in “Valday” Discussion Club.
“This conflict started not as an interstate conflict or a struggle for territories, but as an ethnic confrontation,” the Public Radio of Armenia quoted the Russian President as saying, “unfortunately, this is a fact when cruel crimes were committed against the Armenian people in Sumgait and then in Nagorno-Karabakh.”
Putin added that no one is interested in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict more than Russia. Moreover, he noted that Russia doesn’t share Turkey’s stand on the issue.
The Russian President also revealed that almost 5,000 people have died since the outbreak of the clashes in Nagorno-Karabakh on September 27.
“According to our data, the number of deaths on both sides is almost 2,000, the total number of deaths is already nearing 5,000,” Putin said.
Putin said he is in constant communication with both Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev.
The Russian capital, Moscow, is hosting direct talks between the foreign ministers of Armenian and Azerbaijan. Two humanitarian ceasefires have been agreed upon, thus far. Both collapsed within a few days.
Russia is playing a leading role in Nagorno-Karabakh peace talks. Nevertheless, a settlement doesn’t appear to be near.
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southfront--2020-10-23--Armenians Claim They Shot Down Another Bayraktar TB2 Over Nagorno-Karabakh (Video, Photos)

The Ministry of Defense of Armenia announced on October 22 that a Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 combat drown had been shot down over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh .
The ministry released a video and several photos of the drone , which was apparently armed with several MAM-L laser-guided munitions .
The photos are yet to be verified .
Armenian Forces claimed to shot down a number of Bayraktar TB2 drones over Nagorno-Karabakh since September 27 .
Highly likely , the Armenian side used the photos of the drones that were shot down on October 20 to claim a new shot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the same .
Earlier the Armenian side already repeatedly showed same vestiges of An-2 to claim multiple aircraft shot down .
Azerbaijan purchased an unknown number of Bayraktar TB2 combat drones from Turkey ’ s Baykar in June .
The drones have been used to attack Armenian personnel and equipment in Nagorno-Karabakh with great success .
Armenian forces are certainly using one of their more advanced air-defense systems , like the S-300PM , the Buk-M1 or the Tor-M2KM .
If Armenian forces manage to neutralize the threat of Azerbaijan ’ s combat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may shift dramatically .
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The Ministry of Defense of Armenia announced on October 22 that a Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 combat drown had been shot down over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
The ministry released a video and several photos of the drone, which was apparently armed with several MAM-L laser-guided munitions. The photos are yet to be verified.
The Air Defense Forces of @Karabakh_MoD destroyed another Turkish “Bayraktar”
Силы ПВО Армии обороны уничтожили очередной “Байрактар” турецкого производства#NKpeace#ArtsakhStrong pic.twitter.com/SGoq7e21VL — Armenian Unified Infocenter (@ArmenianUnified) October 22, 2020
Armenian Forces claimed to shot down a number of Bayraktar TB2 drones over Nagorno-Karabakh since September 27.
Highly likely, the Armenian side used the photos of the drones that were shot down on October 20 to claim a new shot. The area of two alleged accidents is the same.
Earlier the Armenian side already repeatedly showed same vestiges of An-2 to claim multiple aircraft shot down.
Azerbaijan purchased an unknown number of Bayraktar TB2 combat drones from Turkey’s Baykar in June. The drones have been used to attack Armenian personnel and equipment in Nagorno-Karabakh with great success.
Armenian forces are certainly using one of their more advanced air-defense systems, like the S-300PM, the Buk-M1 or the Tor-M2KM.
If Armenian forces manage to neutralize the threat of Azerbaijan’s combat drones, the tide of Nagorno-Karabakh battle may shift dramatically.
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southfront--2020-10-23--Armenia Launches Ballistic Missiles On Azerbaijan Amid Retreat In Nagorno-Karabakh Region

On the morning of October 22 , Armenian forces launched ballistic missiles at targets inside the territory of Azerbaijan .
According to the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry , 3 missiles were fired in the direction of the Siyazan region , two in the direction of the Gabala region , and one in the direction of the Kurdamir region .
Baku claimed that the strike was aimed at the civilian population and civilian infrastructure .
The report provided no details regarding the type of missiles employed .
Nonetheless , Armenian forces have so far only employed R-17 Elbrus and OTR-21 Tochka missiles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ several much more modern 9K720 Iskander shot-range ballistic missile systems , but the complex has not yet been employed because the leadership of Armenia is in no hurry to enter a full-out war with Azerbaijan to protect the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic ( also known as the Republic of Artsakh ) .
The Armenian Defense Ministry denounced the reports as fake but it should be noted that Yerevan was also denying a ballistic missile strike on the Azerbaijani city of Ganja on October 16 , a strike , which killed or injured several dozens of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much time marking military objects located in the city on maps .
However , the civilian casualties from that strike are the confirmed fact .
In their turn , Azerbaijan claims that it has destroyed at least 3 Armenian tactical ballistic complexes .
A few of them were struck on the Armenian border area near Karabakh .
On the evening of October 21 and the morning of October 22 , Azerbaijani forces were developing their offensive operations in the Aghdere-Aghdam , Fizuli-Jabrayil , and Zangilan-Gubadli directions .
The Azerbaijani military claimed that it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ destroyed the D-20 battery of the 155th artillery regiment of the Armenian Armed Forces in the Khojavend area .
In the Aghdere area , Azerbaijani forces allegedly delivered strikes on the 5th mountain rifle regiment inflicting heavy casualties to the Armenians .
According to Azerbaijani President Ilham Alyiev , in the recent operations Azerbaijani forces captured 22 settlements in the districts of Fuzuli , Jabrayil , and Zangilan .
These are Gejagozlu , Ashaghi Seyidahmadli , Zargar , Balyand , Papi , Tulus , Hajili , Tinli , Khurama , Khumarli , Sari @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Girakh Mushlan , Udgun , Turabad , Ichari Mushlan , Malikli , Jahangirbayli , Baharli and Minjivan .
Several Armenian T-72 battle tanks as well as BMP-1 and BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles were also captured by Azerbaijan .
Fierce clashes in the contested region continue as both Armenia and Azerbaijan accuse each other of sabotaging the diplomatic talks on a non-military settlement of their differences .
On October 12 , Armenia ’ s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan even said that there is no diplomatic solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict at this stage .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ we agree or will agree , which means that at this stage it is at least pointless to talk about any diplomatic solution , ” the Armenian Prime Minister said .
Pashinyan also touched on the ongoing battles in Nagorno-Karabakh calling on all Armenians to take arms to repel the Azerbaijani advance .
He said that Armenian forces are inflicting heavy losses on the Azerbaijani troops .
The PM claimed that more than 10,000 Azerbaijani soldiers have been killed so far .
This number exceeds even that claimed by the Armenian Defense Ministry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far lost 6,459 troops , 584 armoured vehicles and rocket systems , 23 military planes , 16 helicopters and 202 UAVs .
Thus , according to the Armenian side , in recent clashes Azerbaijan has lost over 200 personnel .
Even amid the victorious statements about multiple Azerbaijani casualties , the Armenian side admits that clashes have reached the area of the Akari River .
Even as Armenia provides few details regarding the current positioning of the sides , this is a de-facto confirmation of the recent Azerbaijani advance .
Meanwhile , Turkey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an earlier claim of the Turkish leadership that his country is ready to openly send its forces to support Azerbaijan if needed .
Therefore , even if Armenia is able to stabilize the current situation in the south of Karabakh , Turkey will continue providing Azerbaijan with the means , measures and specialists needed to continue their operations aimed at recapturing the entire region .

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On the morning of October 22, Armenian forces launched ballistic missiles at targets inside the territory of Azerbaijan. According to the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry, 3 missiles were fired in the direction of the Siyazan region, two in the direction of the Gabala region, and one in the direction of the Kurdamir region. Baku claimed that the strike was aimed at the civilian population and civilian infrastructure. The report provided no details regarding the type of missiles employed. Nonetheless, Armenian forces have so far only employed R-17 Elbrus and OTR-21 Tochka missiles. The Armenian Armed Forces also have several much more modern 9K720 Iskander shot-range ballistic missile systems, but the complex has not yet been employed because the leadership of Armenia is in no hurry to enter a full-out war with Azerbaijan to protect the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (also known as the Republic of Artsakh).
The Armenian Defense Ministry denounced the reports as fake but it should be noted that Yerevan was also denying a ballistic missile strike on the Azerbaijani city of Ganja on October 16, a strike , which killed or injured several dozens of civilians. Later, Armenian sources spent much time marking military objects located in the city on maps. However, the civilian casualties from that strike are the confirmed fact. In their turn, Azerbaijan claims that it has destroyed at least 3 Armenian tactical ballistic complexes. A few of them were struck on the Armenian border area near Karabakh.
On the evening of October 21 and the morning of October 22 , Azerbaijani forces were developing their offensive operations in the Aghdere-Aghdam, Fizuli-Jabrayil, and Zangilan-Gubadli directions. The Azerbaijani military claimed that it had captured important grounds in Gubadli and destroyed the D-20 battery of the 155th artillery regiment of the Armenian Armed Forces in the Khojavend area. In the Aghdere area, Azerbaijani forces allegedly delivered strikes on the 5th mountain rifle regiment inflicting heavy casualties to the Armenians.
According to Azerbaijani President Ilham Alyiev, in the recent operations Azerbaijani forces captured 22 settlements in the districts of Fuzuli, Jabrayil, and Zangilan. These are Gejagozlu, Ashaghi Seyidahmadli, Zargar, Balyand, Papi, Tulus, Hajili, Tinli, Khurama, Khumarli, Sari Babayli, Ucunju Aghali, Hajalli, Girakh Mushlan, Udgun, Turabad, Ichari Mushlan, Malikli, Jahangirbayli, Baharli and Minjivan. Several Armenian T-72 battle tanks as well as BMP-1 and BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles were also captured by Azerbaijan.
Fierce clashes in the contested region continue as both Armenia and Azerbaijan accuse each other of sabotaging the diplomatic talks on a non-military settlement of their differences. On October 12, Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan even said that there is no diplomatic solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict at this stage.
“Azerbaijan no longer agrees with what we agree or will agree, which means that at this stage it is at least pointless to talk about any diplomatic solution,” the Armenian Prime Minister said. Pashinyan also touched on the ongoing battles in Nagorno-Karabakh calling on all Armenians to take arms to repel the Azerbaijani advance. He said that Armenian forces are inflicting heavy losses on the Azerbaijani troops. The PM claimed that more than 10,000 Azerbaijani soldiers have been killed so far. This number exceeds even that claimed by the Armenian Defense Ministry, according to which Azerbaijan has thus far lost 6,459 troops, 584 armoured vehicles and rocket systems, 23 military planes, 16 helicopters and 202 UAVs. Thus, according to the Armenian side, in recent clashes Azerbaijan has lost over 200 personnel.
Even amid the victorious statements about multiple Azerbaijani casualties, the Armenian side admits that clashes have reached the area of the Akari River. Even as Armenia provides few details regarding the current positioning of the sides, this is a de-facto confirmation of the recent Azerbaijani advance.
Meanwhile, Turkey’s Vice President Fuat Oktay repeated an earlier claim of the Turkish leadership that his country is ready to openly send its forces to support Azerbaijan if needed. Therefore, even if Armenia is able to stabilize the current situation in the south of Karabakh, Turkey will continue providing Azerbaijan with the means, measures and specialists needed to continue their operations aimed at recapturing the entire region.
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