Armenia continues to investigate the causes of the devastating defeat of the Armenian army during the 44-day war. The participant of the war, the head of the apparatus of the former Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia Tigran Avinyan, Serzh Varag Siseryan, in an interview with Radar Armenia, in particular, answered the question why the Armenian army failed to “keep” the city of Shusha. Siseryan advised to address this question to former Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan.

“It would be right to ask this question to Seyran Ohanyan, who at that time was actually appointed commander of the defense of Shusha city. One should ask Seyran Ohanyan why he fled from Shusha on the evening of November 5 without even informing the groups stationed there. Our connection with the command was cut off in a very incomprehensible and strange way, as a result we were left alone, about 20-30 people. I think the day will come when Seyran Ohanyan will have to answer the questions of soldiers and volunteers abandoned in Shusha,” he said.

Faktyoxla Lab. has tried to figure out whether Seyran Ohanyan really led the “defense” of Shusha city during the Second Karabakh War.

Let’s start with the fact that former Minister of Defense of Armenia Seyran Ohanyan has already denied rumors that he led the operation to defend Shusha during the hostilities in Karabakh. The ex-minister then said that he was in Shusha on his own initiative and did not maintain contact with the so-called "command of the Defense Army." He added that he participated in the formation of a militia group of 16 people in Shusha. On November 5, when Shusha was blocked from three sides, he left the city.

At the very beginning of the Second Karabakh War on September 29, Armenian and pro-Armenian Telegram channels reported that the former Minister of Defense of Armenia Seyran Ohanyan urgently left for Karabakh. At the same time, it was emphasized that he had rich military experience.

Further, at the beginning of November 2020, information appeared that Ohanyan was participating in the development of an operation specifically for the city of Shusha. Photos of him at the reception of the "president" of the so-called "Nagorno-Karabakh Republic" Arayik Harutyunyan were published.

An article published in the Armenian newspaper Hraparak on November 6 stated that Seyran Ohanyan had been in Karabakh since the first days of the war and was helping in any way he could. The report noted that despite the criminal persecution by the authorities for two years, the former defense minister, having cast aside insults, left for Karabakh. In addition, Arayik Harutyunyan's statement was made public, in which he expressed "gratitude to Colonel-General Seyran Ohanyan for participating in the defense of the city of Shusha."

On November 7, 2020, the Armenian newspaper Panorama.am published a statement by Seyran Ohanyan, in which he denied the information spread by the Azerbaijani side about his injury, saying that, on the contrary, everything is in order and the morale is high.

On November 8 of the same year, the then official representative of the Armenian Ministry of Defense Artsrun Hovhannisyan stated at a briefing that the former Armenian Minister of Defense Seyran Ohanyan had recently become a “legend” in the defense of the city of Shusha, stressing that under his command they would fight to the end. He also refuted the information about the wounding of Ohanyan, saying that he was fighting with the army. The press secretary of the so-called "president" of the "Karabakh Republic" Vahram Poghosyan also stated that Ohanyan is fulfilling his duties.

This information was distributed on November 6-8, 2020. At the same time, Ohanyan later told the media that he left Shusha on November 5. This inconsistency can be interpreted as confirmation of the unreliability of Ohanyan’s words.

Seyran Ohanyan and his son Artur Ohanyan were wounded in the battles for Shusha. The Armenian media then denied that Ohanyan had been wounded, but confirmed that his son received injuries. Azerbaijani media reported that Artur Ohanyan died from his wounds, and his body was sent to Yerevan.

In addition, the Azerbaijani media reported on the appointment of Seyran Ohanyan as the commandant of Shusha.

Meanwhile, there is information in the public domain that he participated in the war in Karabakh in 2020, first as a volunteer, and then as a military adviser to the "president" of the unrecognized "Nagorno-Karabakh Republic".

On November 10, 2020, Telegram user Titan Asatryan reported that Seyran Ohanyan left him and his friends after fleeing Shusha.

Meanwhile, the ex-minister was presented with photo facts on the Bagramyan26 Telegram channel, which disseminates news about Ohanyan’s participation in the Karabakh war and specifically the Shusha operation.

A channel user wrote that Ohanyan’s statement that he only participated in the formation of a volunteer group of 16 people during the Shusha operation and did not maintain contact with the "defense army command" is not true. He wonders how the ex-minister will explain the incriminating photos and Arayik Harutyunyan's November 5 post.

Actually, the information published in the Armenian media and social networks, including photos, makes it possible to say with certainty that Seyran Ohanyan participated in the Shusha operation, participated in the leadership of military operations and had close ties with the so-called "Karabakh Defense Army" and its command. Also, a representative of the Ministry of Defense called him a "legendary defender of Shusha" and indicated that the battles were under his command, which showed that the former minister was not a simple "volunteer" in Shusha. The Armenians also believed that only Ohanyan was able to protect Shusha. Moreover, his experience as Minister of Defense and the rank of Colonel General indirectly indicate that he led the fighting in Shusha, and not just a group of 16 people.

Seyran Ohanyan was born in 1962 in Shusha. In 1983 he graduated from the Higher Military Command School in Baku. He served in the Soviet military group in Germany. In 1988 he was appointed company commander of the 366th motorized rifle regiment of the Soviet Army in Khankendi. He later commanded a battalion in this regiment. Ohanyan, one of the key participants in the Karabakh war, personally took part in the Khojaly genocide as a battalion commander of the 366th regiment. He led the operations for the occupation of Azerbaijani lands. In 1999-2007, he was the "Minister of Defense" of the so-called "NKR", in 2007-2008 - the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Armenia, in 2008-2016 - the Minister of Defense of Armenia.

A criminal case has been initiated against Seyran Ohanyan under Article 103 (genocide) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan. He has been put on the international wanted list.

Based on the above-mentioned facts, it is safe to conclude that Seyran Ohanyan really led the operations in Shusha city.