Senor Hasratyan: Shushi Was Not Liberated as Easily in 1992 as We Gave It Up in 2020

Former spokesperson of the Artsakh Defense Army, Senor Hasratyan, wrote on his Facebook page: “Respecting and highly appreciating the undeniable services of the first commander of the Artsakh Defense Army, a hero of Artsakh, Lieutenant General Samvel Babayan, in the truly difficult task of establishing and solidifying the Armed Forces of the Republic of Artsakh, I must nonetheless respond as follows for the sake of justice.

In November 2020, it was impossible to capture Shushi the way it was liberated in May 1992, and this is for a simple reason: in 2020, Shushi was protected from the north, south, east, and west, whereas in 1992 it was only protected via the Lachin corridor...

By the way, what was successfully accomplished in May 1992 by the forces operating under your command towards the Lachin corridor, with significantly greater opportunities, we failed to do in November 2020, namely, to close the rather long and narrow corridor from Metsi Tagher to Zardanasen to Avetaranots to Skhnikh to Karin Tak to Shushi, especially since the fortress city was protected from all other directions...

I don’t know (although I almost do) whose result of 'oversight' it is, but it is indisputable in my opinion that we had a more knowledgeable and far-sighted political-military leadership during both the first Artsakh war and the April Four-Day War than was the case here... Forgive me, I do not have a habit of responding to my commanders in this manner, but this time, after long reflection, I felt compelled to do so... Because Shushi was not liberated in 1992 as easily as we gave it up in 2020... ”