Retired colonel marks 2016 Artsakh war anniversary, hails brave soldiers

Colonel Senor Hasratyan, a reserve officer of the Artsakh Defense Army, took to Facebook on Thursday to matk the 10th anniversary of the April 2016 four-day war with Azerbaijan. He recalled the sacrifices of young soldiers such as Robert Abajyan, who was posthumously awarded Armenia’s highest military honor.

“In 2016, thanks to Robert Abajyan and his fellow soldiers, we forced the enemy into another ceasefire,” Hasratyan wrote. “In 2020, during the 44-day war, we also had heroic sons like Taron Andreasyan, but we lost it.”

He said the defeats were not due to the absence of brave soldiers but to the inability of commanders and political leaders to channel their strength effectively. “The Armenian people have never lacked Roberts and Tarons, and never will. Our problem is having leaders worthy of them,” he added.