YEREVAN. – The relatives of the missing servicemen are demonstrating in front of the Russian embassy in Armenia.

Their request is that the Russian military and political leadership deal with the issue of these missing soldiers.

"Our request is that you pay attention to this issue; our only hope is Russia. Our [Armenian] leadership has lost its competence; at the moment no one is doing anything. I appeal to the President, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Defense of Russia: Please, I do not know how, but see to it that Azerbaijan officially recognizes our captives and returns them to us," said one of the picketers.

Former deputy director of the Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) State Service of Emergency Situations, Boris Avagyan, said that Arshak Karapetyan, a deputy chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Armenia, was sent to Russia for talks in this regard, whereas there is a negative attitude towards him in Russia, and besides, he cannot resolve any issue.

Avagyan added that the Azerbaijani side was represented at the talks by the head of foreign intelligence Sultanov, who is President Aliyev's right-hand man, whereas the Armenian negotiator is not able to negotiate even at the border with Azerbaijan.