Not All Soldiers Captured in Syunik Have Returned, Details from NSS

On February 7, Azerbaijan transferred 8 Armenian prisoners of war to the Armenian side. Some of them had been captured during military operations that took place on November 16 in Syunik, while others were taken during military actions in the villages of Khtsaberd and Hin Tagher in Hadrut.

Several media outlets had reported, citing their sources, that all Armenian soldiers captured on November 16, 2021, had been returned.

To verify this information, Hetq sent an inquiry to the National Security Service of Armenia. According to the official response from the NSS, "The information regarding the return of all soldiers captured by the Armed Forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan during the military operations on November 16, 2021, does not correspond to reality. Edik Hovsepyan, a conscript from the Armenian Ministry of Defense military unit N, has not been returned by the Republic of Azerbaijan."

This indicates that at least one soldier captured on November 16 remains in captivity in Azerbaijan.

The National Security Service also notes that according to officially confirmed data from the Azerbaijani side, 38 Armenian prisoners of war are still being held in Azerbaijan.

It is worth recalling that on November 16, in the southeastern section of the Armenia-Azerbaijan contact line, military operations occurred as a result of provocations from the Azerbaijani side, during which both parties used armored vehicles and artillery. The Armenian Ministry of Defense announced that the Armenian side lost two combat positions, with casualties, wounded, and prisoners.

However, later that same evening, hostilities ceased as Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu had telephone conversations with the defense ministers of both sides, Suren Papikyan and Zakir Hasanov.

Earlier that day, the Armenian side had announced that it would appeal to Russia for assistance. "Since the attack occurred on the sovereign territory of Armenia, we are appealing to Russia for the defense of Armenia's territorial integrity under the framework of the 1997 agreement between Armenia and Russia and in the context of fulfilling mutual obligations under that agreement," stated Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan.

According to him, the Armenian side expects that Russia will provide assistance and that there will be an opportunity to restore Armenia's territorial integrity. However, up to this point, Azerbaijani forces remain in the sovereign territory of Armenia, and no steps have been taken to remove them.