Azerbaijan today marks the fifth anniversary of its Victory in the Patriotic War, commemorating the triumph that ended nearly three decades of Armenian occupation and restored the country’s territorial integrity.
The Victory Day, established on December 3, 2020 by a decree of President Ilham Aliyev, is celebrated annually to honor the heroism and unity of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces and people during the 44-day war of 2020.
The conflict began on September 27, 2020, when Azerbaijan launched a counteroffensive in response to yet another Armenian provocation.
The operation aimed to liberate the occupied territories, enforce long-ignored UN Security Council resolutions, and enable the return of displaced citizens to their ancestral lands. The Azerbaijani nation rallied together with unprecedented unity and determination.
Over the course of 44 days, the Azerbaijani army liberated five cities, four settlements, and 286 villages, including Jabrayil, Fuzuli, Zangilan, Gubadli, Hadrut, and the iconic city of Shusha, whose liberation effectively sealed Azerbaijan’s victory.
The army reclaimed strategic heights in the Agdara, Murovdag, and Zangilan directions, dismantling long-standing defensive lines and shattering the myth of the Armenian army’s invincibility.
The turning point came with the liberation of Shusha, which led to Armenia’s capitulation and the signing of the trilateral ceasefire agreement on the night of November 9–10, 2020, between President Ilham Aliyev, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Under the deal, Kalbajar, Aghdam, and Lachin districts were returned to Azerbaijan without fighting.
This historic victory stands as a symbol of Azerbaijan’s national pride, strength, and unity, ending a 30-year conflict and ushering in a new era of peace and reconstruction across the liberated territories.
