News - Russian peacekeepers tried to evacuate women and children from Artsakh, but Azerbaijani fire halted the effort

As the shelling commenced, efforts were made to evacuate women and children from the village and transport them to Russian peacekeepers' posts. A nurse from the Karabakh village of Mets Shen, Sevan Mandzhikyan, shared her account with Radio Liberty. Mandzhikyan and her husband remained in the village to assist the wounded if necessary. She recounted that Russian peacekeepers tried to facilitate the evacuation of women and children from Nagorno-Karabakh through the Lachin corridor, crossing the Hakari Bridge. However, Azerbaijani forces began firing upon the peacekeepers' vehicles. "It was around 7 o'clock; they intended to transport children and women to Khin Shen. The Azerbaijanis seemed to indicate that the way was open, and whoever wanted to leave could do so. They planned to use the Lachin route and cross the Hakari Bridge. However, while en route from the post to the village, the Azerbaijanis fired at the Russian vehicles, causing a delay. As a result, the children could not be evacuated. The Ural vehicles, with women and children on board, were targeted by gunfire, preventing the Russians from carrying out the evacuation. Consequently, all of them remain here; none were able to leave," said the nurse from the village of Mets Shen. As previously reported by NEWS.am, Azerbaijan's Armed Forces initiated artillery fire along the entire line of contact in Nagorno Karabakh on September 19, starting at 1 p.m., in an attempt to breach the defense line of the Nagorno Karabakh Defense Forces. Presently, Stepanakert, the capital of Nagorno Karabakh, and other settlements are enduring heavy shelling. Gegham Stepanyan, the Human Rights Defender of Nagorno Karabakh, has documented multiple casualties and injuries among civilians, including children. As of September 20, fighting continues along the contact line of Nagorno Karabakh with varying degrees of intensity. Units of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces are employing various weapons not only to maintain their positional advance but also to target civilian infrastructure. As of 03:00, September 20, according to the information received by the Office of the Human Rights Defender, the number of civilian casualties in Artsakh as a result of Azerbaijani aggression has reached 7, including 3 women, 2 children, and 2 men. There are also 35 injured persons among the civilian population: 13 children, 15 women and 7 men.