Azerbaijan criticized Armenia for allegedly conducting illegal transfers of military equipment and soldiers to Karabakh using ambulances.

A statement by the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry released Friday said that illegal Armenian armed units and soldiers of the Armenian Armed Forces were observed strengthening their combat positions along the Khankendi-Qaybali-Dukanlar-Khalfali route early in the day.

The statement further said that the Armenian units were accompanied by a vehicle belonging to the Russian peacekeeping contingent stationed in the region.

"The videos taken by technical surveillance outlined the movement of an ambulance filled with weapons, ammunition, as well as anti-personnel and anti-tank mines in the convoy," it claimed.

It added that ambulances installed with REC (radio-electronic combat) devices were used for military purposes, saying these pose "a serious threat to the safety of civil aircraft flights passing through Azerbaijan's airspace."

Relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia have been tense since 1991 when the Armenian military occupied Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.

In the fall of 2020, Azerbaijan liberated several cities, villages, and settlements from Armenian occupation during 44 days of clashes. The war ended with a Russia-brokered peace agreement.

Despite ongoing talks over a long-term peace agreement, tensions between the neighboring countries rose in recent months over the Lachin road, the only land route giving Armenia access to the Karabakh region, where Azerbaijan established a border checkpoint in April on the grounds of preventing the illegal transport of military arms and equipment to the region.