Muradov: No return of Armenian PoWs was planned, people were misled

PanARMENIAN.Net - The commander of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Nagorno-Karabakh, Lieutenant General Rustam Muradov said Friday, April 9 that there were no plans of returning Armenian prisoners of war from Azerbaijan the day before, Hraparak.am reports.

Muradov's comments came after rumors about another batch of POWs returning to Armenia flooded social media on Thursday, which were later confirmed by a government spokesperson to be true. A plane did, in fact, land in Yerevan's Erebuni military airport, except it was empty.

"[It is] false provocation. Ask them. They mislead the population," Muradov said in response to a question about statements from Armenian officials alleging that some captives were on their way to Yerevan.

When asked if there had been such plans at all, the Russian military official said: "No. It was an ordinary, simple working visit."

After learning that their sons were not returning on Thursday, the parents left Yerevan and blocked all the roads connecting the country to Shirak, Sputnik Armenia reported on Friday morning.