Illustrative Image
Written by Russian war correspondent Alexander Kots
Observing the countless refugee columns in the Lachin corridor, the sight of sleeping children on the streets of Goris, and the silent elderly with weathered faces, analogies are inevitable. Similarities among refugees in any military conflict are striking. Images from Uglegorsk (DPR) come to mind – a line of somber people stretching toward the “Ural” truck, leaving their bikes stuck in thick mud, and their entire past with them.
“No need to save me, save the children,” pleads an elderly teacher, wrapped in a headscarf, gesturing to the militia. There’s an overwhelming sense of doom, detachment, and powerlessness – the realization that one can’t influence the situation but must submit to it.
Just yesterday, these people had their own lives, jobs, and plans for the future. Children attended school nearby, and on weekends, they visited their grandparents in the village. A stable life shattered overnight. What to take with you? Documents, money, if you have some, a worn notebook with relatives’ phone numbers on the “mainland,” a few knitted sweaters, family heirlooms… What more can fit into the old “Zhiguli” car, in which you need to accommodate a large family – perhaps a photo album containing memories of a life that will never be the same?
Clutch, first gear, gas – the worn wheels carry them away from the present, transforming it into a heart-wrenching memory, while the future looms with anxiety and uncertainty.
Some refugees might return if there’s a place to return to. Yet, the people of Artsakh do not even have such ghostly hope. Recently, the leader of Karabakh actually abolished the unrecognized state, issuing a decree, according to which it will cease to exist on January 1, 2024. What we witness today isn’t evacuation; it’s the exodus.
Few will choose to stay. The wounds are too fresh, mutual grievances too strong, and fear too palpable. This marks the end of the story – a triumph for some, a national tragedy for others. Thirty years ago, this story began, but now the winners and the defeated have switched places. In 1994, after a triumphant conquest of Karabakh within two and a half years, Armenia, resting on its laurels, failed to take any steps toward reuniting with Artsakh or even recognizing its independence. Meanwhile, Azerbaijan meticulously prepared for revenge, learning and arming itself.
In 2020, Azerbaijan launched its first operation, reaching Shusha and casting a shadow over Stepanakert. Following a pause – necessary for digesting their gains and restoring military resources – the third swift and devastating war ensued. It was the result of inaction and lack of support from Yerevan, which officially recognised Azerbaijan within the 1991 borders, together with Karabakh. The authorities of Armenia did not lift a finger to help their brothers in Artsakh, who, judging by the statistics of Baku, nevertheless gave the last battle. Azerbaijan lost 192 people killed in a day and this is three times the average daily loss in the previous conflict. Yet, these figures are unlikely to calm the refugees in the Lachin corridor.
The tragic history of Artsakh today has shown very clearly, that would have become of South Ossetia, Abkhazia and Donbass if Russia, like Yerevan, engaged in demagogy and casuistry instead of protecting its people.
lol what an assclown articel. armenia/ armenians allied with russia,thrown under the bus by putin asap. remember being allied to the flathead mafia empire and u get screwed as soon as bigger power like turkey or israhell gets involved. bunker grandpa is a fluffer and blinks/ gives up anytime facing opponents.
1/2 it’s one thing to step in on moral grounds to defend the defenceless, quite another to intervene and prolong a conflict on behalf of a country that neither shows a desire to fight nor asks for aid (as i’m given to understand is the case here), such an intervention seems to me a waste of life military and civilian and for what?
2/2 in terms of limiting nato resources threatening russia it’s better to let turkey win this one, develop ties with their proxy and bring them into the fold thereby gaining a stronger ally and more good will with nato’s dissenters.
so wrong. russia give armenia the ways to protect themselves but they are very corrupt also plays in both sides because they were allied to western masters of the universe empire usa. armenia wins the first south osethia war just because russia help them, but now there is a different world, now turkey stands with azerbaijan, and they did do their homework and prepared to have a professional army and armenia did not, so armenia will lose. big geopolitics are playing near the russian borders.
+++++ sorry dear friends, i have received exit from psychiatry but forgot to take my tablets. i suffer a lot from my chronically progressive schitzophrenia with hypobulically negativistic symptoms +++++
kek it seems that even the paid jewish shills subtly admit in their posts that russia was the only country on earth that was interested in providing people with stability and prosperity and that without them it all falls apart.
what you get for sucky icc dik,libby creepo!
go tell the kurds 🤡
do you mean the israeli proxy kurds who used the conflic with isis to secede from syria?
they think armenia is a “western puppet” because russia does nothing while various turkmen invade with israeli and russian weapons. you couldn’t make it up…
armenians are rich in semen. tastes good
rusko nemôže nikomu na silu pomáhať. to sa jednoducho nedá. vieme ako to dopadlo aj u nás. pomohli nám a my sme ich potom za to nenávideli. dnes máme to čo sme chceli a je nám ozaj na nič. žiadna sloboda, žiadna demokracia. miesto toho korporatívny fašizmus okorenení liberálnym-fašizmom. teror ako z dákeho hororového filmu, to tu dnes máme!!!
armenia ( pashinyan) gave artsakh to azerbajan following orders from the west in order to strengthen ties with eu and nato. once russian troops leave armenia, nato will reach to caspian sea through alliances with turkey ( nato member), georgia and armenia ( now western puppets), azerbajan ( gas&petrol supplier to eu).
russia is the far stronger asset (period)conversely homosexuals dont mix with muslims either.
tell that to all the turkish homos.
if those nato and nazi criminals in ukraine had prevailed in donbass it would make this look like a picnic.
aliyev is a filthy rat. i hope that russia will soon win the war in ukraine and fully support armenia to restore their territorial integrity. azerbaijan needs a goodbeating they deserve to be punished for their crimes against humanity.