Regaining of Azeri-occupied Shahumyan and Getashen was impossible in the spring of 1994, considering situation at the front, a deputy director of the National Academy of Sciences’ Literature Institute said.

As Vardan Devrikyan told June 13 news conference on Shushi liberation 20th anniversary, a failure to liberate northern Artsakh was explained by small number and fatigue of Armenian forces. “The rumors that it was still possible to liberate Shahumyan and Getashen were politically motivated and aimed to discredit Armenia’s leadership,” Devrikyan said.

“Both Armenian and Azeri troops had full realization of the ceasefire to be signed soon and waged violent fights to improve their positions before the armistice. Everything possible was done before the ceasefire,” the academician stressed.