On March 24, 2022, units of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan violated the line of contact in the direction of Parukh village, Askeran region, captured the village, took up new positions in the village and its vicinity, and moved towards the Shikakar-Karaglukh high ground, part of which they managed to seize.

The Shikakar-Karaglukh mountain chain  along with its summits is one of the many large and small branches of the Artsakh Range passing through the territory of the Republic of Artsakh, most of which are in Askeran region (Melkumyan 2005, 346). It is one of the highlands that separates the Khachenaget and Karkar valleys, dominates and controls large areas of the Artsakh steppe and its entrance to the Karkar river valley, where Askeran, Stepanakert, and many Armenian villages are located. Due to its important strategic position, the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan are trying to straighten their grasp on this mountain chain.

Straightening on Shikakar-Karaglukh, the Azerbaijani side endangers not only the numerous historical monuments of the Karaglukh region: in case of further prospects, one of the most important political, cultural, spiritual centers of historical Artsakh, the Khachenaget valley will be in danger - along with its numerous monuments, historical environment, located in the mountain сhain adjacent to Shikakar and Karaglukh and located nearby, in the valley of the Khachen River flowing by. In the zone of greatest risk are the monuments of Hramort and Khnapat village, and the adjacent territories.

As of March 29, 2022, the territory of the village of Parukh was again under the control of the Russian peacekeeping forces stationed in the territory of Artsakh. Although the units of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces left the village, however, judging by several videos distributed by the Azerbaijani side, they are not far from there.

Since March 31, the Azerbaijani media have been actively spreading the news about the discovery made by the Azerbaijani side of "mass graves of Azerbaijanis" during earthworks in the vicinity of Parukh. The Azerbaijani propaganda machine began to spread the idea that the bones belonged to the dead Azerbaijani soldiers, missing since the First Karabakh War, and even to the victims of the Khojaly "genocide".

We notice a dangerous trend when human bones found in unknown conditions and in unknown places, are “being used” to give a distorted interpretation, and become a subject of political speculation, transferring into the sphere of cultural politics. According to specialists from the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the Republic of Artsakh, the bones found near the village of Parukh originate from the territory of the Medieval (9th-13th centuries) cemetery of Kalen Hut. This may indicate that the Azerbaijani side is deliberately carrying out engineering work in the area of ​​​​the medieval cemetery, exposing it to vandalism, as evidenced by the bones on display.

Literature

1. Melkumyan S., The economic and social geography of the Republic of Armenia and the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, Yerevan, 2005 (in Armenian)
2. The lost mountains of Armenia, https://www.armgeo.am/artsakh-mountains/
3. Azerbaijan took control of the village of Parukh and adjacent positions, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFbW9xLT06E
4. The main hill of Karaglukh is under our control, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3afgONXJjVM
5. Russian peacekeepers published footage from Artsakh, presumably from Parukh, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HimbI1MxGTM
6. Alert from Artsakh, https://www.facebook.com/ArtsakhTV/videos/960315998183462
7. It is reported from Artsakh that the cultural heritage of Parukh and Karaglukh is under threat, https://www.facebook.com/azatutyun/videos/509153717249596