Azerbaijan has built special hiding places just meters from the Armenian border. Arman Tatoyan, Head of the “Wings of Unity” Political Initiative and former Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) of Armenia, told this to a press conference Wednesday, and added that these hiding places did not exist until July 31, 2025.

Tatoyan noted that he is talking about the borders in the direction of Armenia’s Gegharkunik Province.

“Until August 19, they [i.e. Azerbaijanis] carried out a very large-scale fortification work. They are called ‘kapanyars;’ that is, special hiding places that can be used for military vehicles, tanks,” he said.

Showing these sections on a map, Tatoyan said: “This is their road, and these hiding places are in the immediate vicinity of the road. It is assumed that this section can be used for vehicles. It is obvious that these preparations that they have made can also be used for offensive purposes. They are keeping our villages under direct monitoring.”

Reflecting on what had happened in the direction of Armenia’s Jermuk city, Tatoyan said: “These advances, reinforcement, engineering work are not only in Vardenis [town] and the Gegharkunik Province, but also in Vayots Dzor [Province]; in particular, in the Jermuk area. Here we have, we will show positions intended for mortar platoons, specific positions on combat duty. They [i.e. Azerbaijanis] have improved the areas from where they can use mortars, grenade launchers, and other large-caliber weapons.

And this is Jermuk, again with satellite photos, and we see that again by August these are new improvements that have taken place, and the expansion of monitoring and the incursion into the territory of the Republic of Armenia.

These were made for a special purpose in the immediate vicinity of Jermuk. These were built before August 4, very quickly, on a rushed principle.

In addition, two more positions near Jermuk, which are just meters away from the border, but still, these positions pose serious security threats and risks for us. Logically, it becomes obvious that this pursues specific goals in preparation, for example, for possible actions, if some situation allows.

This is the other position, which is just a few meters away from our border, which is again clearly intended for firing positions, equipped with special accommodations, roads, fortified,” Arman Tatoyan added.