Analysts explain incident in Gadrut District by parties' unclear agreements

Azerbaijani militaries should retreat to their initial positions after their offensive in the vicinity of the Karabakh villages of Khtsaberd and Khin Takher, Russian analysts believe. The incident in the Gadrut District was caused by the parties' unclear agreements; while the Russia's position should be tougher, the experts have stated.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on December 11, the first ceasefire violation was recorded; and three Karabakh soldiers were wounded. In the village of Khtsaberd, Armenian forces are stationed, while in the village of Khin Takher, there are Russian peacemakers and Azerbaijani soldiers, who are conducting negotiations, the head of the Gadrut District Administration has explained.

Konstantin Zatulin, the first deputy chairman of the State Duma committee for CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) affairs, has urged not to harbour illusions that all parties will respect the agreements in good faith.

Russian peacemakers have failed to set up their post near the villages of Khtsaberd and Khin Takher due to a lack of forces, Konstantin Sivkov, the vice-president of the Russian Academy of Missile and Artillery Sciences, believes. He is sure that Azerbaijani militaries should leave the positions occupied after the end of the war and return to their initial ones.

"One party believes that, according to the agreement, this area should be transferred to them, while the other party insists that since its forces were present there, the villages were actually under their control at the time of signing the agreement. The violation of the truce was the result of unclear agreements that gave rise to misinterpretation," Mikhail Khodaryonok, an air defence expert, believes.