>>/40684/
Apparently the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service straight-up confirmed that there are both Kurdish and Syrian fighters in the area, so it seems both sides are using external help. The Kurdish militants I can swallow a bit easier because Armenia has had friendly relations with groups like PKK for years, while I have no idea why Azerbaijan would permit Sunni jihadists to come to the frontline. They'd sooner shoot their Shi'a comrades than Armenians and according to Armenian claims, there are already cases of them refusing to fight. But, it is what it is.
>>/40689/
I don't think it's exactly lose-lose. If Armenia loses NK, Pashinyan gets the boot and likely another pro-Russian puppet gets installed in government, which means Russia regains their influence over Armenia. Their relationship with Azerbaijan remains the same. The only wildcard is Turkey. Their relationship with Azerbaijan could possibly get much stronger, so Russia will need to watch that. That's why I think Putin is pushing for peacekeepers now. He knows the stalemate that's been going on in Karabakh for 20 years is likely gone now, so he needs to find another way to play a balancing act in the region.