Russian border guards have withdrawn from the border zones of Gegharkunik province, according to Karen Sargsyan, the governor of the province, during a briefing with journalists. When asked about the occupation of territories in 2022, Sargsyan said, “Based on the information available to me, the territories were occupied by our defense ministry. I cannot comment on the activities of the Russians there.” He also mentioned that since 2022, Russian border guards have been stationed in a part of Syunik. Sargsyan further added, “There hasn’t been any official protest from the relevant authorities about their departure. Subsequently, they moved to the Upper Shorja region, where they engaged in armed clashes with Azerbaijani forces. It has been reported that Russian vehicles were also targeted in the exchange of fire.”