As fighting continues between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, DN! looks at the roots of the conflict that has already killed at least 700 people since fighting began in late September and which threatens to escalate despite two ceasefire attempts brokered by Russia. Nagorno-Karabakh, which lies inside Azerbaijan but is controlled by ethnic Armenians, was the site of a bloody conflict in the wake of the collapse of the Soviet Union. This latest spike in violence is the worst since the 1990s and holds the risk of spiraling into a regional war, with Turkey openly supporting Azerbaijan while Russia has a mutual defense pact with Armenia. "You enter into the capital, Stepanakert, and the lights are off. The city is in complete darkness, and everyone is in bunkers and shelters," says reporter Roubina Margossian, who has been reporting from the region. DN! also speaks with UC Berkeley professor Stephan Astourian, author of the forthcoming book "At the Crossroads of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Conflict: History, Territory, Nationalisms."

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Armenia Azerbaijan Democracy Now! Nagorno-Karabakh Roubina Margossian Russia Soviet Union Stepanakert Stephan Astourian