Today four years have passed since the liberation of the Hadrut settlement in the Khojavend region from occupation. As a result of counteroffensive operations carried out by the Azerbaijani army starting from September 27, 2020, the town of Hadrut was liberated from the enemy on October 9. On this occasion, a press tour was organized to the Hadrut settlement with the participation of media representatives and military experts.
During the visit, the mediator mainly focused on information about the strategic importance of the settlement, the process of its liberation from occupation and its effects on the course of the war. The soldiers of the Azerbaijan army who participated in the liberation of Hadrut from occupation, as well as military experts, made statements regarding the Hadrut operation.
Oku.AzThe military personnel who spoke with the employee
“Hadrut was considered the eye of our occupied territories for the enemy. Not in vain one of its most populated places was here. The enemy never thought that we would attack Hadrut. However, when the enemy did not expect it, we advanced towards Hadrut from the Gabriel’s direction. We divided into two groups. In a short period of time, we had already reached the depths of the enemy.
The soldier said that the enemy did not know about them during the attack:
“However, when we approached their military unit, they saw us and discovered us. However, we managed to destroy them. After that, panic began in their military unit. This time, we fought an unequal battle and completely defeated the enemy. In In a short time, Hadrut was completely free and the territory is now under our total control,” the soldier said.
He added that after regaining control of Hadrut, they headed towards Shushakand:
“Unfortunately, when I arrived at Shushakan, I was already wounded. After that, I could not advance. Of course, no battle is without loss. We also had wounded and martyrs. May God have mercy on our martyrs and heal our veterans.”
Another soldier who participated in the Hadrut operation. Oku.Aztold about the operation:
“From the morning of September 27, 2020, our units launched a counterattack to prevent enemy provocation. The Azerbaijani army accurately fulfilled all the tasks entrusted to it. The liberation of Hadrut was of particular importance for the following operations, because this defeat caused the demoralization of the enemy and caused fear.”
“In general, the enemy did not think that the Azerbaijani army would reach Hadrut. But we fulfilled all the tasks set before us accurately and on time, and thanks to the correct management of the battle, we liberated our lands, including Hadrut, from occupation in 44 days. We are very proud to have created this joy for the people of Azerbaijan. Of course, our brothers, with whom we fought shoulder to shoulder, reached the peak of martyrdom. Today we walk comfortably in these regions. of the Azerbaijan Army, our martyrs and the Armed Forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Ilham Aliyev It is the result of their political will,” the soldier added.
Of course, the liberation of Hadrut was strategically important. Because the Azerbaijani army regained control over the settlement, our army also had control over the mountainous part of Karabakh. In this sense, the Hadrut operation is considered one of the main turning points of the Second Karabakh War. Not in vain, in Hadrut was the headquarters of the motorized rifle division of the Armenian army. Its main combat task was to organize defense in the southern direction.
Oku.AzMilitary expert talks about strategic importance of Hadrat Azer Bayramov He said that liberating the territory from occupation and destroying the enemy division headquarters was one of the highest priority issues:
“In this regard, the Azerbaijani army first destroyed the main centers of resistance and, taking advantage of the gaps created, infiltrated into the depths with small groups. This caused panic in the Armenian army.”
“In parallel, the Azerbaijan army carried out these activities mainly from the southwestern and northeastern directions, and later we observed that the enemy was unable to perform any specific tasks. In the following period, the Azerbaijan army “Had liberated Hadrut from occupation and other transportation and supply routes, some of which he controlled visually and others physically. In the next stage we observe the liberation of Fuzuli from the occupation,” the expert stressed.
Our interlocutor said that the Azerbaijani army carried out its next operation in the direction of Shusha and thereby destroyed the myth created by the enemy:
“Because the Armenian army had formed the idea that even if the Azerbaijani army was successful on the plains, the battles in the mountains would give the Armenian side a certain advantage and manage to stop the Azerbaijani army. However, they were wrong here too, it is capable to cope with any combat task even in mountainous terrain, and the fact that the Armenian side lived with such myths led to its shameful defeat.”
“As is known, the personnel of the 9th regiment was also transferred to Hadrut after the liberation of Jabrayil from the occupation. Despite the superiority of the personnel, the Azerbaijani army coped with the task and neutralized many of them, others were They were forced to desert and flee. After this process we observed the increase in desertions in the Armenian army. In general, the Hadrut operation is one of the operations that must be studied in the history of the army, and the Azerbaijani army opened a new page in. their performance of the task, both on the plains and in the mountains, continued to successfully fulfill the tasks,” Bayramov concluded.
military commentator Ramil Mammadli also Oku.AzIn his statement he spoke of the strategic importance of the Hadrut operation:
“The settlement of Hadrut and the surrounding heights, especially Mount Argunesh, were very important for the Azerbaijani army. Because our armed forces, which liberated Jabrayl from occupation, were trying to strengthen themselves in the Jabrayl-Fuzuli and Jabrayl directions -Hadrut. To ensure this strengthening, “The factors that created obstacles were eliminated. One of these factors was Mount Argünesh and the other heights around Hadrut. “As a result of the operations, our armed forces were able to liberate the heights initially and the settlements at a later stage.”
“The liberation of Hadrut from the occupation led to the strengthening of the positions of the Azerbaijani army in the mountainous part of Karabakh, and also dictated the formation of the front in a new way. Because after the liberation of Hadrut from the occupation, the units of the Armenian army tried to strengthen their positions in other directions. This had to be done in a very short time and, as a result, the Armenian army was unable to form the first, second and third echelon units with defense potential,” the commentator said.
Our interviewer added that the rapid implementation of offensive operations by the Azerbaijani army made the situation change hourly:
“This also caused additional problems for Armenia. The liberation of Hadrut from occupation caused the advance of the Azerbaijani army in the direction of Red Bazar, Khojavend, Shusha and the destruction of the positions of the Armenian army on the southern front.”
Merahim Nasib
