Defense Ministry Statement Surprised Me: Parsi on Azerbaijani Advance in Nerkhin Hand

Reports have emerged from various media sources stating that Azerbaijani military personnel have advanced approximately 1 km towards the Nerkhin Hand settlement in the Syunik region, setting up five tents.

In an interview with ArmDaily.am, Kapan community leader Gevorg Parsi confirmed that the reports from Nerkhin Hand residents are accurate. "What the villagers are saying is true—they are correct. They have penetrated about 800 meters into Armenian territory. We observed this on our part at the beginning of March," said Parsi.

When asked if this was a result of Azerbaijani initiative, he stated that it is likely just that. Parsi noted that this advancement does not endanger the Kapan-Meghri interstate road, as they do not possess control over that area, and this position does not have significant strategic value.

“For the local residents, the Azerbaijani advance poses serious challenges concerning livestock farming, as the territories where farmers engaged in livestock breeding are now under Azerbaijani control, creating further issues for Nerkhin Hand, which I prefer not to elaborate on so as not to inform the enemy,” added Parsi.

In response to inquiries about contacting the Ministry of Defense and the government for clarification, he remarked, “Naturally, the Defense Ministry's statement was very surprising to me. It was surprising because that statement did not correspond to reality, and I believe there could be two reasons for that. The first is that they are deliberately distorting the truth, and the second may sound naive, but it is possible they are not fully informed. I say they might not be informed because I have grounds to think so: A few days ago, I asked the high-ranking official responsible for this direction, and he was attempting to present me with nearly the same content as the Ministry of Defense's statement. This leads me to believe that perhaps this is how the local responsible parties reported to their superiors in the Defense Ministry. Therefore, I say there could be two reasons for such a statement: either they are willfully distorting the reality, or they are uninformed.”

When asked about the psychological state of residents, Parsi mentioned that he regularly visits Nerkhin Hand and that his deputies, particularly the deputy responsible for security and an advisor, also continually meet with the residents. “Naturally, they are concerned,” concluded Gevorg Parsi.

It should be noted that the Defense Ministry outright denied the reports of Azerbaijani military advances in an interview with Auroranews. They added that in the indicated area, which is under Azerbaijani control, Azerbaijani units have several positions that cannot be utilized during the winter due to lack of equipment. “Currently, due to changes in weather conditions, Azerbaijani military personnel are merely returning to those positions. There can be no talk of any advancement. In all areas of the border, including this one, the Armed Forces of Armenia are fully executing their assigned tasks, including monitoring any movement of Azerbaijani forces and maintaining control of the situation,” stated the Defense Ministry.