Azerbaijani Soldier Returned with Russian Mediation Underwent Surgery in Baku: Details

A resident of Artsakh and an Armenian soldier who was captured during the clashes in Syunik on November 16 have been transferred to the Armenian side with the mediation of the Russian Federation. This was reported to 24News by Colonel Boris Avagyan, the former deputy director of the State Emergency Situations Service of Artsakh, who was previously involved in the return of reservists captured by Azerbaijan in December.

Avagyan stated that the return of the Armenian captives took place with the support of the newly appointed commander of the Russian peacekeeping forces in Artsakh, national hero of Russia, Lieutenant General Gennady Anashkin, and that the agreements were reached during the visit of Deputy Commander of the Southern Military District of Russia, former commander of the Russian peacekeeping contingent, Lieutenant General Rustam Muradov to Baku on November 17.

“I informed the public a week ago that we have a wounded and captured soldier who is undergoing surgery in Baku and will be repatriated after the operation. When Rustam Muradov was in Baku, he conducted negotiations and succeeded in reaching an agreement with the Azerbaijanis that after the surgery, the soldier would be returned to the Republic of Armenia. The Azerbaijanis have upheld those agreements and returned him to Armenia today. Muradov had ensured that our injured and captured soldier would receive medical assistance and undergo surgery,” Avagyan detailed.

On the evening of November 17, Muradov had flown back to Armenia the body of an Armenian soldier who was killed during the clashes in Syunik on November 16.

Avagyan mentioned that a relative, Arevik Petrosyan, had approached him regarding Artsakh citizen Mihran Musayelian. Mihran Musayelian, who is a resident of the Ashan village in the Martuni region of Artsakh, became lost in an area that came under Azerbaijani control on November 23 and was captured by Azerbaijani armed forces.

Petrosyan stated that they had approached the relevant authorities, who assured them that negotiations were ongoing for Musayelian's return; however, no tangible results were achieved, and frustrated relatives received no updates from the authorities on this matter.

Earlier, the Azerbaijani service of the Russian "Sputnik" news agency reported that before the meeting of Pashinyan, Putin, and Aliyev in Sochi today, Azerbaijan transferred two military captives to the Armenian side, one of whom is a soldier, and the other a civilian. According to the source, Azerbaijan handed over soldier Arian Aramyan, who fell into captivity in a wounded state as a result of the November 16 aggression in Syunik. The civilian is Mihran Musayelian from the Martuni region of Artsakh.