Azerbaijani armed forces captured strategic heights in the Nagorno-Karabakh region's so-called Lachin Corridor in an offensive operation named "Revenge," Eurasianet reported Aug. 4. Heavy fighting appears to have stopped, and Armenian authorities in the breakaway region said three of their soldiers were killed and at least 19 wounded. Why It Matters: The operation demonstrates and increases Azerbaijan's leverage in peace negotiations with Armenia, and it is intended to push the Armenians to stick to their recent pledge to withdraw their soldiers from Nagorno-Karabakh in September. The incident is also further evidence of the Russian peacekeeping forces' failure to prevent or reverse violations of the 2020 cease-fire agreement, eroding the credibility and authority of their mandate. Similar incidents will likely continue should Armenian forces fail to withdraw from Nagorno-Karabakh in September, and such incidents could increase if Armenia continues stalling in peace talks.