I Sounded the Alarm for the First Time When the Enemy Captured Mataghis and Talish, Endangering Our Entire Northern Region: Artsakh President

Artsakh President Arayik Harutyunyan addressed the situation during the war in a message today.

“I sounded the alarm for the first time on October 3, when the enemy, having captured Mataghis and Talish, endangered our entire northern region. Part of the troops was fleeing in panic in the area called Yeghnikner; we had no human resources to at least hold the rear of our boys located in Yeghnikner on the frontline. That morning, I called out and said, ‘I am going to the frontline.’ It was clear to me that part of the troops was in panic, not the Defense Army, nor the armed forces, but the troops that were on the frontline, different volunteers, and so on. On that day, when the most powerful, elite units of our National Security, which had come from Armenia, were supposed to go with special units, they also refused to go to Yeghnikner. I begged them, insisted, saying, ‘I will go in front of you’ but got a negative response—they didn’t come. They left the President of the country alone at a time when he was supposed to go to the frontline. I am expressing this today because I have to,’ said Harutyunyan.

“Of course, very few troops joined me, and we were able to fulfill that mission, which is why Yeghnikner is completely under our control. On October 3, I called out saying, ‘We are in a critical situation; we need human resources,’ and you have already seen the situation on October 18 and so on. I warned every time that we needed human resources,” emphasized the President of Artsakh.

According to Harutyunyan, a few days ago, a Russian analyst suggested that if Armenians want to win the Nagorno-Karabakh war, they need to mobilize up to 80-100 thousand people. Harutyunyan announced that he does not want to specify the exact numbers of volunteers and reservists that joined, but according to him, the troops were left alone: “There were many volunteer units, some of which carried out their duties faithfully until the last day, while others left without even staying for a single day,” said Harutyunyan, adding that units reinforced from the reserve also arrived—some stayed for a few hours, and some for a few days.