On the one year anniversary of the fall of Hadrut during the Second Karabakh War, CivilNet Artsakh correspondent Hayk Ghazaryan spoke with the city’s Mayor, Vahan Savadyan, in Stepanakert. An excerpt from that conversation has been translated into English.
Background
The city of Hadrut is located within the boundaries of the Hadrut region in the southern part of Karabakh. The region is one part of the Nagorno Karabakh Autonomous Oblast (NKAO) that is currently under Azerbaijani control. Although the city fell in October of 2020, the rest of the region was captured by Azerbaijani Armed Forces in December 2020, weeks after the signing of the November 10 Russia-brokered ceasefire agreement.
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Hayk Ghazaryan (CivilNet): On which day exactly did Hadrut fall?
Mayor Vahan Savadyan: I would that it is not so important. On October 10, [2020], at around 11, AM the enemy entered Hadrut. After that day’s battles, we came out wounded. And on October 11, another group went to Hadrut, to the administration building, composed of the head of the administration, the head of the Hadrut National Security Service, and a number of citizens and servicemen. By then, the southern part of Hadrut, on the other side of the river, was already under the complete control of the enemy. They remained in Hardut for about an hour but it was impossible to resist because the enemy had stationed large numbers of troops in the area.
It was not possible to take any action with such a small group. Of course, they tried, but it wasn’t possible. The boys were wounded and had to leave. Some seven or eight people from that group were from our region. Others were from the special detachments of the National Security Services. There were other servicemen as well. I cannot specify their exact number since I was not there. I was injured on October 10. But there were about 30-40 of them.
Hayk Ghazaryan (CivilNet): If a proper defense was organized, do you think it would have been possible to defend Hadrut, or would the adversary have broken them eventually?
Mayor Vahan Savadyan: Of course, it would have been possible. Anyone who has been to Hadrut before October 10 will agree with me that it was possible to defend the city if the defense was organized properly. But no organization took place. For example, our boys, the head of the National Security Service, the head of the administration, his deputy․․․ There were many people who tried to organize and defend Hadrut. But it was not enough. The army should have immediately․․․ It is after all the 21st century. It’s not 1991. We shouldn’t have had to organize detachments with each of us attempting to organize something in one direction or another. This was a serious war. We had to prepare rigorously, which we did not do.
Hayk Ghazaryan (CivilNet): Why didn’t anyone announce the fall of Hadrut? Why were we deceiving ourselves?
Mayor Vahan Savadyan: Meaning, to announce on the 10th or 11th of October that Hadrut had really fallen?
Hayk Ghazaryan (CivilNet): On the 14th or 15th at least․․․
Mayor Vahan Savadyan: To be honest, there was such chaos that I wasn’t following the news. In general, I didn’t follow the news during this war, because I didn’t have that opportunity. Yes, people would call and inform [us] of various news. I didn’t know who was saying what. Who was lying or not. I was injured on October 10 and was moved to Yerevan. I returned two days later to the villages of Hadrut. There was no one there, there was no media to approach and ask me that question. No one asked about the situation in Hadrut, whether it was in our control or in [Azerbaijani control].
Hayk Ghazaryan (CivilNet): How many people from Hadrut currently live in Artsakh and in Armenia? How many people had to migrate?
Mayor Vahan Savadyan I can give approximate data because I do not have specific information from the region. So, 30-35% of [Hadrut city’s] population currently lives in Artsakh – in Stepanakert, in Martakert, in different communities. The same percentage applies to the Hadrut region. The rest settled in different parts of Armenia. Unfortunately, some of them went abroad. Specifically, 200 people went abroad from the city of Hadrut. And this is ongoing. And roughly 1000 people went abroad from the whole region. We hear news of this every day․ What can people do?
Hayk Ghazaryan (CivilNet): What programs are being implemented in Artsakh to house the people from Hadrut? Do most of them live in hotels?
Mayor Vahan Savadyan: Yes, they live in hotels or they rent. The rents are expensive. The state, of course, does not provide that much, people try to make ends meet themselves. As for building housing… Yes, it is one problem to provide housing, and another problem to provide employment. Providing an apartment is not a complete solution to the problem. What will that person do? We can say that there is no agriculture, we do not have that much land, there is a lack of pastures and arable land. What should these people do? This is the most serious question. Before the housing construction works are completed, they will have to be given employment opportunities. Starting today.
Translation by Zara Poghosyan