Vehicles of Russian peacekeepers pass freely along Azerbaijan’s Lachin-Khankendi road (PHOTO)

SHUSHA, Azerbaijan, February 13. Fourteen
trucks and one passenger car of Russian peacekeepers [temporarily
deployed near Azerbaijan’s Shusha] have driven along the
Lachin-Khankendi road without any incidents, Trend reports from the scene.

This once again proves that humanitarian vehicles can pass
freely through the protest area, there are no obstacles for
them.

The peaceful protest on the Lachin-Khankendi road against the
illegal exploitation of Azerbaijan’s mineral resources in the area
of Russian peacekeepers’ temporary deployment has been going on
since December 12, 2022.

Previously, following the talks with the Russian peacekeepers’
command on December 3 and 7, 2022, a group of experts from the
Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, the State Property
Service under the Ministry of Economy, and AzerGold CJSC were going
to begin preliminary monitoring of the illicit mineral resource
exploitation, as well as emerging environmental implications on
Azerbaijani lands, where the Russian peacekeepers are temporarily
deployed, on December 10, 2022.

The expert team was expected to inspect the environmental
condition at the ‘Gizilbulagh’ gold deposit and the ‘Damirli’
copper-molybdenum deposit, monitor various areas, organize
cadastral property records, assess potential risks and threats to
the environment, as well as to underground and surface water
sources.

However, the expert group, accompanied by Russian peacekeepers,
faced provocations when arriving in the monitoring area. The
planned initial inspection and monitoring did not take place due to
the fact that the Russian peacekeepers not only did not create
necessary conditions but also prevented for the entire process from
carrying on.