Civilnet
By Gevorg Tosunyan
In the border village of Kutakan in Armenia's Gegharkunik province, cattle breeder Martin's house is the closest to the Azerbaijani positions. It is only 700 meters away from the line of contact between the Armenian and Azerbaijani forces.
In recent days, particularly on March 21 and 22, the sound of gunfire was heard in the village during the night.
"The shots were not directed at the village," says Martin. In his opinion, the presence of the EU monitoring mission in the village has noticeably increased stability and tranquility. Before that, Russian border guards were on duty in Kutakan, as well as in other communities of Gegharkunik, Vayots Dzor, and Syunik, who have now been replaced by European observers.
European Union monitors were deployed along the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan in February 2023, several months after Azerbaijan's attack on Armenia on September 13-14, 2022. This was Azerbaijan's largest attack after the 2020 war, which officially resulted in the loss of 207 Armenian servicemen.
The observers were at work while we were filming. They approached the Armenian positions in front of Martin’s house as closely as possible to conduct observations. The observers were visible even to the naked eye.
"Until today, we have felt safe with their presence," says Martin and adds, "Even now, as we're standing in the street in plain view of the Azerbaijanis without them shooting at us, it's thanks to the observers."
Martin shows us his trailer, which was shot at by Azerbaijanis on September 13-14, 2022. He points out the bullet holes.
But that's not all. Martin shows us his collection – various fragments of exploded shells that he has gathered from the fields and around his house, where he is engaged in cattle breeding with his brother and sons.
"[In September 2022] Several shells fell right near my house. It was chaotic. I managed to get my family out, but some of my animals died," he recalls.
Sotk has suffered greatly, and traces of those days are still preserved here. The gates and walls of Sotk's community center bear the marks of artillery fragmentation.
About thirty houses with red roofs can be seen from different parts of the village. These roofs were replaced with government support after the attack.
Despite news of recent gunfire, life in Sotk continues in its natural course. The villagers confirm that there were shots on March 21 and 22, but they were at night and brief.
We met young Sotk residents, Gevorg and Artur, near the Holy Mother of God Church, which was reconstructed in 1276. They were arranging hay for cattle at a house belonging to Gevorg's family.
Gevorg says there have been brief shootings at night, but not directly toward the village.
When asked what Sotk's primary issue is, Gevorg replies, "Peace. The rest we will create ourselves."
Sotk, which has more than 1,000 residents, continues to feel the consequences of the 2020 Karabakh war. As a result of the defeat, Armenian armed forces withdrew from the adjacent Kelbajar region, part of Sotk's gold mine remained with Azerbaijan, which also reduced the number of jobs here. On top of everything else is the constant threat to security.
Azerbaijan includes the withdrawal of the EU observers as a precondition for it to sign the peace treaty with Armenia.
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