“At the moment of Azerbaijan’s attack, we were all at home”: A Sotk resident speaks about the recent Azerbaijani provocation

On September 13, at the time of Azerbaijan’s attack, we were all at home, including children aged 11, 13, and 15. This was stated by Ruslan Kechabayev, a resident of Sotk, in an interview with News.am on September 29.

“I took the children to the corner of the wall to keep them safe. At that moment, you don’t even know where to go if you go outside. The house was damaged from the very first strikes, and it wasn't just one; many shells came in. After the first strike, we stayed at home for another two hours, as there were no cars to take the children away. My friend came at 3 AM and took my family away, while I stayed behind. It was probably around 4 AM when he came back to take me as well. The children were, of course, scared,” he said, adding that he and his family returned to the village three days ago.

“The children really wanted to come back; they can't adjust anywhere else. The children were in Buryakavan,” said the resident of Sotk.

When asked if they were considering leaving the village, he responded negatively, saying, “Where would we go? This is our land. We have fled once; we are Armenians from Kirovabad (Ganja). Now, where can we flee from our Armenian land? We have been living in Sotk for 33 years. I work in a gold mine, I keep livestock, and I work in the fields. The Sotk mine is operational.”

It should be noted that today representatives of diplomatic missions accredited in Armenia visited the communities of Sotk and Kut. Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Gnel Sanosyan informed them that 148 houses have been damaged in only Sotk.

It is recalled that on September 13, Azerbaijan's armed forces launched a large-scale aggression against the Republic of Armenia’s sovereign territory with the use of heavy-caliber weapons, artillery, missile systems, and drones. The number of those killed and missing has reached 207, including 3 civilians killed, with the whereabouts of 2 civilians considered unknown. Furthermore, 293 servicemen and 7 civilians have been injured, and 20 servicemen have been taken captive.

Armed forces of Azerbaijan have targeted 36 settlements, including Goris, Sisian, Kapany, Jermuk, Vardenis, Tegh, and Geghamasar communities, resulting in the partial or complete destruction of 192 houses, 3 hotels, 2 schools, 1 medical institution, 1 event hall, and 4 barns. Additionally, 7 electrical infrastructures, 5 water infrastructures, 3 gas pipelines, 1 bridge, 2 roads, and 1 street have been damaged. Also targeted were 2 ambulances and 4 personal vehicles.