Azerbaijan continued shelling Stepanakert, Shushi and other locations in Karabakh. Throughout the day, Azerbaijani forces twice bombed the Holy Savior Cathedral of Shushi. During the second bombing two Russian journalists Yuri Kotenok and Levon Arzanov inspecting the damage from the first attack were seriously wounded; the journalists were hospitalized in Stepanakert. Video report from on location by CivilNet’s Tatul Hakobyan is available at this link.

Continued fighting was reported in the south of Karabakh near the Iranian border. In the evening, Armenian defense ministry reported resumed drone attacks against Armenia’s Vardenis district. Drones attacks were also reported in Karabakh.

Iranian president expressed concern that Armenian-Azerbaijani fighting could expand into a regional war and called for a cease-fire.

Around midnight local time, the Kremlin press office issued a statement on behalf of the Russian president, referencing a “series of conversations” with Nikol Pashinyan and calling on Armenian and Azerbaijani forces to cease fire, “for humanitarian purposes of collecting the dead and exchanging prisoners.” Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers were invited to Moscow “for consultations” on October 9.

Also on October 9, Russia’s prime minister was expected to visit Yerevan for talks with Armenian leadership.