[OPINION]
By Gevorg Tosunyan
It’s impossible to get a full picture of what’s taking place in Syunik from Yerevan or from any other city․ You have to be on the ground, climb the military posts, visit the villages, and talk to the people. While on a reporting project, I traveled the entire length of Armenia’s southernmost Syunik Province, from Goris to Meghri. With Azerbaijan now on the other side, this is the reality on the ground.
Russian border guards in Syunik
We were interviewing a volunteer serviceman in a military post in one of the villages in Syunik, near the town of Kapan, when we heard shots being fired in the distance. We wrapped up the interview, and the servicemann called the commander to ask which fired the weapon. The commander responds that it didn’t come from an Armenian position. So it was the Azerbaijanis.
"The Russians will get unsettled now. They want to know who did it. They don’t allow a single shot to be fired. Even firing drills are not allowed,” the serviceman tells us.
On our way back to Kapan from the military post, we noticed a Russian border guard speeding to the frontline.
Away from this region, the general public seems to have the impression that the Russian border guards are only stationed on the Shurnukh road, which in some places passes through the territories handed over to Azerbaijan. The reality is that Russian border guards are roaming Syunik’s entire frontline. At times, the Russians find out about certain tensions and respond even before the Armenian or Azerbaijani armies.
The eight kilometers of the Chakaten-Kapan road and most of the Shurnukh-Vorotan road pass through the territory handed over to Azerbaijan. Azerbaijanis have placed the now famous "Welcome to Azerbaijan'' sign on those sections of the road. We are told that a few days ago, some people from nearby villages shot at the sign, and in response, the Azerbaijani army blocked the road. The situation was resolved with Russian mediation. Since that day, a Russian border guard vehicle has been parked in front of the sign day and night.
The military posts
Earlier in February, the Armenian border guards announced that any journalist wishing to travel to and film in Syunik must obtain permission from the National Security Service. So why doesn’t the government want journalists to go near military positions and speak with servicemen? I found the answer after visiting more than 20 military posts near the frontline. I saw Armenian volunteers and soldiers who with their own means are creating living and bathing conditions for themselves on the mountains. Meanwhile, the opposing Azerbaijanis have and continue to establish well-built tent settlements.
Azerbaijanis and Armenians deployed to this area at the same time, but the opponent was more prepared, at least that’s how it looks from Syunik.
Armenian volunteers and servicemen in the military positions have poor living conditions. But no matter how unpleasant, the volunteers don’t even consider leaving. They say that if they leave, the Azerbaijanis will move forward and position themselves in their place. So the volunteers stay and wait for the army to replace them. The Armenian army is in the process of setting up official military posts and deploying soldiers to the entire frontline of Syunik.
There won’t be any official news about this situation. But now, more than ever, we must be honest, raise the issues and find solutions.
Don’t underestimate the opponent and don’t overestimate us
I am from the generation that was fed a tale in which the Armenian soldier is smart and the Azerbaijani soldier is cowardly and ignorant. This short-sighted approach was one of the factors that led to our defeat.
After spending just a few days in Syunik, I was convinced that the enemy knows how to make us anxious, how to remind us of our defeat. At the moment, this is not done with weapons but with ordinary psychological tricks. The "Welcome to Azerbaijan" sign on the road is an example.
Most of the Vorotan road is now under Azerbaijani control. Once you exit that section, on the left side of the road you see Russian and Azerbaijani soldiers. Azerbaijanis have placed a fence on their side, and their flag accompanied by a soldier with a gun is always visible to both passing and arriving vehicles.
Azerbaijanis have also set up large white tents in their positions, at least four in each. Three out of four might be empty, but they try to give the impression that the area is controlled by a lot more of them than there really are.
For the dreamers
From Meghri, a southern town in Syunik near the border with Iran, we decided to return to Yerevan not via the main road, but by the secondary one, which passes through Shvanidzor, Tsavov, and Chakaten. At the foot of one of the mountains, there is a small village, or rather a collection of homes․ There are about 50 houses and churches — all abandoned, destroyed or half-destroyed. This village is not even on the map, but it is an important reminder for everyone who passes by it that we are indifferent towards our homeland.
The villages near Kapan, especially the communities closest to Karabakh, are half-ruined and abandoned, while the natural beauty remains indescribable.
When I am told that we will bring back Kars, Ardahan, and the rest of Artsakh, these abandoned villages come to my mind. At times, it seems that those who dream of an Armenia from sea to sea cherish that dream more than they cherish what we have now.
The personnel of the humanitarian demining company of the Russian peacekeeping contingent carried out work on clearing the area of explosive objects in the area of the settlement of Karmir Shuka in tMartuni district of Artsakh, the Russian defense ministry reported.
According to the source, during the mine clearance, Russian sappers neutralized about 400 explosive objects, including 122-mm high-explosive artillery shells and cumulative tank ammunition.
Detected explosives removed and destroyed at the specially equipped Ballidzha training ground. Ammunition that could not be evacuated was destroyed on the spot, with all necessary safety measures being taken during the blasting operations.
In total, since November 23, 2020, 1,419 hectares of territory, 443 km of roads, 1,361 housing structures, including 30 socially significant objects, have been cleared of unexploded ordnance, 24,453 explosive objects have been found and neutralized, the source said.
Armenia observes Iran as a friendly country and a reliable partner, Speaker of Armenian parliament Ararat Mirzoyan stated on Thursday at the meeting with Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran (in Armenia Abbas Badakhshan Zohouri.
Touching upon the Artsakh conflict, Ararat Mirzoyan stated that it is necessary to call into life the affirmed agreements after the tripartite statement signed on November 9 on the ceasefire: to carry out the urgent exchange of prisoners of war and other captive persons as a priority with the principle all-for-all as soon as possible. The Speaker also added that the conflict could not be considered solved eventually, unless the issue of Nagorno Karabakh status would be regulated in the format of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship – the Artsakh Armenians’ right to self-determination. Ararat Mirzoyan underlined that Iran cannot abstain from expressing its position on Artsakh issue, taking into consideration also the active involvement of other regional states for the benefit of the Azerbaijani side, both in the phase of military actions and during its following period.
Ambassador Zohouri informed that the Iranian side welcomes the reaching of the agreement on ceasefire in Artsakh and reaffirmed the viewpoint voiced by the FM Zarif that the problem of repatriation of prisoners of war shall be speedily solved.
During the meeting the sides discussed a number of issues on more enlivening of the inter-parliamentary ties, the activation of the economic relations between the two countries and developing joint economic activities especially in Syunik, the press department at the parliament reported.
3,577 bodies of killed servicemen passed forensic examination since September 27, 2020 to February 13, 2021 inclusive, Aysor.am news portal reports, citing the date of Armenia's Ministry of Health. According to the source, as of February 13, DNA analysis of other 428 bodies are in the process.
It is noted that the number of killed servicemen announced by Artsakh Defense Army is 2,364 as of February 16, while as of February 17, Artsakh rescuers found bodies of 1,485 killed servicemen and civilians.
The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) has released the updated FIFA/Coca-Cola World rankings for national football teams on Thursday, with the Armenian squad maintaining the 99th position as of February 2021, the Football Federation of Armenia reported.
The other teams in the top 5 are France, Brazil, England, and Portugal.
During today’s government session, Advisor to the Prime Minister of Armenia Robert Ghukasyan stated that the residents of the borderline settlements of Syunik Province have problems with farming and cattle-raising.
Ghukasyan noted that people used to farm and raise cattle in wider spaces, but they don’t have the opportunity to do that now. “This is especially a problem in Vorotan, which has a very small district. The government is working with the Ministry of Economy and will provide solutions for greenhouse economies, intensive gardens and smart cattle barns. I’ll present the final solutions during the next government session,” he said, adding that demining has already begun since the season for farming is approaching.
In his turn, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that the specific actions will help the residents of Syunik Province feel that the government supports them.
Director of #3 Polyclinic of Vanadzor Artak Yedoyan has been dismissed for demanding the resignation of Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan. He confirmed the news during a conversation with Yerkir.am.
“I had joined the call of doctor, freedom fighter Taron Tonoyan to demand the resignation of Pashinyan. I’m not politically affiliated. I assume that I was dismissed because of this since there was no other reason to dismiss me,” he said.
Yedoyan says there is a reason for him to believe this because during his conversation with newly appointed regional governor Aram Khachatryan, who used to be a deputy of the My Step faction of the National Assembly before being appointed, started talking about politics and asked Yedoyan why he was against Pashinyan.
“The regional governor asked me if I could express my opinion during the administration of the former authorities, to which I gave an affirmative answer and brought up an example and added that I had never faced such a problem in the past,” the doctor said, adding that he will sue the regional governor and has already reached an agreement with lawyers and human rights activists.
Representatives of the medical community of Armenia had issued a statement demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Pashinyan, who is responsible for the devastating situation created in Armenia, as well as the resignation of his Cabinet.