Peacekeepers Prevent Parukh Villagers from Residing There Due to Security Concerns

Russian peacekeepers have set up checkpoints in Parukh, preventing villagers from residing there due to their safety. This information was provided to 24News by Anahit Petrosyan, assistant to the head of the Askeran regional administration, regarding the situation around the village of Parukh in Artsakh’s Askeran region.

“Residents are not allowed to stay in Parukh, but to my knowledge, they come and go. Only Russian peacekeepers are present in the village area, as according to the trilateral statement of 2020, the neighboring village ofarmenakavaz was handed over to the Azerbaijani side. It was impossible to organize classes in Parukh due to the small number of students, and some were coming from Armenakavan to school. As a result, the Parukh school did not operate after the 44-day war in 2020, and mainly villagers engaged in agriculture lived there,” Petrosyan noted.

The assistant to the head of the Askeran regional administration stated that Azerbaijani positions are very close to the village of Parukh. “They are perhaps 500 meters or less away from the positions. The village population mainly resides in the homes of relatives and friends, and it seems there is state compensation for the displaced to ensure housing conditions,” concluded Anahit Petrosyan.

It is recalled that on March 24, Azerbaijani armed forces violated the contact line towards Parukh, moving forward and occupying part of the strategically significant Karaglukh height. Negotiations with the mediation of the Russian peacekeepers were initiated for Azerbaijani troops to return to their initial positions, but they continue to remain near the village.