Khtzaberd enclave

 historical layer / disappeared object, disputed territory

 Upload a photo

Part of Hadrut District controlled by the Defence Army of unrecognized Republic of Artsakh at the moment of signing 09.10.2020 trilateral ceasefire agreement. The villages of Khtsaberd (Chaylaggala) and Hin Tagher (Kohne Taghlar) as well as the Katarovank monastery, became an Artsakh holdout in the Hadrut Province during the war. Artsakh authorities refuted that any Armenian forces had attacked Azerbaijani positions, and stated that Azerbaijani forces had launched military operations in the region, injuring six Armenian servicemen, while the Azerbaijani ministry of foreign affairs reiterated that the "provocative activity" was committed by the remnants of the Armenian forces. Later, Artsakh authorities stated that the Azerbaijani forces had launched a new offensive in Khtsaberd and Hin Tagher, the only settlements in the region that were still controlled by Armenian forces. They noted that the two villages have been fully encircled by the Azerbaijani army, which controls the only road leading to them.[370] The office of the Armenian prime minister urged the Russian peacekeepers to respond. Artsakh authorities confirmed that the Azerbaijani forces had entered the villages, and stated that the Russian peacekeeping forces had arrived to resolve the situation. The Armenian President, Armen Sarksyan stated that Hin Tagher had been captured by Azerbaijani forces on 12 December, continuing their advance towards Khtsaberd.

The Russian peacekeeping forces confirmed that the ceasefire was breached, and requested that both sides respect the ceasefire. On 13 December, Hin Tagher came under the control of the Russian peacekeeping contingent. On the same day, the Armenian president Armen Sarkissian called on the National Assembly to convene an extraordinary session regarding the issue. and the Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan convened an emergency meeting of the Armenian Security Council. However, the next day, the Russian Ministry of Defence released a map showing both villages outside of the borders of the peacekeeping mission, and both came under Azerbaijan's control.

On 15 December, the Azerbaijani sources shared footage, apparently showing over 100 Armenian POWs from the Hadrut region. The following day, Artsakh authorities stated that they had started an investigation to identify the people in the videos, and then reported that about 60 Armenian servicemen went missing. Hours later, Artsakh authorities confirmed several dozen of the troops were captured by the Azerbaijani forces. Meanwhile, the Armenian media reported that the Azerbaijani forces allowed about 30 Armenian soldiers who were encircled to leave the region with the help of the Russian peacekeeping forces. Then, the people in Shirak blocked the road leading to the Armenia–Georgia border, demanding the return of the Armenian POWs.