Kremlin unaware of any report Iskander missile fragments allegedly found in Karabakh

TASS, Russia

April 2 2021

The spokesman recalled that Russian-made Iskander tactical missile systems had not been used during the conflict escalation in Nagorno-Karabakh in the autumn of 2020

MOSCOW, April 2. /TASS/. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday he was unware if the Defense Ministry reported to Russian President Vladimir Putin that the Azerbaijani forces had allegedly found fragments of Iskander missiles in Nagorno-Karabakh.

"No, as far as I understand, this is new information," the Russian presidential spokesman said. "I am unaware if there was a report by the Defense Ministry and if our top brass has any detailed information about that. This, of course, is their prerogative, to a larger extent," he said.

The Kremlin spokesman recalled that Russian-made Iskander tactical missile systems had not been used during the conflict escalation in Nagorno-Karabakh in the autumn of 2020.

"This [the missiles’ non-use] was confirmed," he said. The Russian presidential spokesman added that the Kremlin "has no information" about where the fragments allegedly discovered by the Azerbaijani side had come from.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said in an interview with foreign media on February 26 that Azerbaijan had not identified any launches of Iskander missiles during the armed conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Military experts polled by TASS said later that Iskander missiles had not been used during the armed conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh at all. The Russian Defense Ministry also dismissed the rumors that Iskander systems had been employed during the hostilities in the region.