In Shurnukh, Residents Uncertain About Border Changes

Amid the ongoing tensions following the war, residents of the village of Shurnukh in the Syunik province are anxious about the future. They are unsure where the new border will be drawn after the transfer of the Kashatagh region to Azerbaijan on December 1st, and whether it will be safe to live in their village.

“There is a former Azerbaijani village in the valley. Our outposts are now positioned there. We have another outpost across from it, but we don’t know if it’s temporary or permanent. The question is, if we know we won't be staying here permanently, we must find another location to position ourselves closer to the village,” said Norair Zakaryan, a resident of Shurnukh, during a conversation with NEWS.am.

According to Zakaryan, the border during the Soviet Union era ran right alongside the main road of the village. “The area below the road was Azerbaijani territory, while above it was our Armenian land,” he noted.

Norair Zakaryan arrived from Russia to participate in the defense of Syunik. He mentioned that the guards had anticipated launching a counter-offensive after November 9, but the opposite has occurred. If there is an order to abandon their positions and retreat, Zakaryan believes that the guards will refuse, as it would render living in Shurnukh unsafe.

“I think retreating from that position is tantamount to suicide; then I have to gather my family and leave here. There’s a good saying: ‘Make friends with the Turk, but don’t drop the wood from your hand,’” he said.

It should be noted that, according to the trilateral agreement, the Kashatagh region of Artsakh will be handed over to Azerbaijan on December 1st.