Duts Military Unit Soldiers Report They Were Under Siege Since November 15

Soldiers captured in Armenia's eastern border area a few days ago are from the well-known "Duts" military unit in Vanadzor. Relatives report that they last established contact with the soldiers who had departed for the Sisian positions on November 7 on the 15th and learned that they were already under siege.

This was reported by Azatutyun. The wife of one of the contract soldiers captured from Vanadzor, whose name we are not disclosing for security reasons, told the media that, according to their calculations, her husband had been under siege with his combat colleagues for a whole day. She said, "On the 15th, I spoke with him. I said I heard they had taken positions. He told me, 'That's our post...' They had been under siege since the 14th... They couldn't even get some food delivered..."

On November 17, she saw her husband in a video shared by Azerbaijanis. "In one video, they blindfolded him and were hitting him on the head... Then they talked and said, 'Say that Artsakh is Azerbaijan.' I clearly hear his voice; that's him. In another part, they are hitting him, doing something... but his face isn't visible, it doesn't show, but it's his voice, he's shouting..."

Another woman from Vanadzor said that her husband was only a contract soldier in the "Duts" unit for ten days. Through tears, she expressed doubts that he even knew how to shoot. After the reduction of his previous position in "Duts," he decided to take up contract service. She added, "It was his first time going to the positions; he was not aware of anything. We know that they fought fiercely for 8 hours, and we have been told that they fought heroically to the end; they had no alternative, they were placed under siege, and thank God they didn't die, because most of them have died."

According to reports from women in Vanadzor, the commander of the position has also been captured. He is also from Vanadzor.

Yesterday, families from Vanadzor appealed to organizations dealing with the issue of captives, including the General Staff of the Armed Forces, the Red Cross, and the Office of the Human Rights Defender. One of the women stated, "I am waiting for him to come back; I don't want anything else." Today, the Ministry of Defense issued a statement indicating that intensive work continues with the mediation and participation of the Russian side regarding the return of those captured during the fights and the discovery of the missing.