If even for external consumption it was necessary to present that Armenia’s first president Levon Ter-Petrosyan was not aware of Shushi liberation, the reality is that he could not have been unaware of it, Artak Zeynalyan, member of Republic party told Tert.am. Zeynalyan was participating in the Artsakh war within Nikol Duman volunteer squad.

Hot debates have recently been elaborated on Facebook over the interview of Artsakh hero, Komandos Arkady Ter-Tadevosyan. “May 6 was appointed as a day of liberation of Shushi, but May 5 was very snowy and our plans failed. To answer your question I will say that my commander that time was Serzh Azatich, I do not know whether Levon Ter-Petrosyan was aware of it or not. But one thing is clear he was against Shushi’s liberation as there was an issue of normalization of relations with Turkey. Stemming from it I will say he was not aware of it. It was very difficult for me, one thing was said from above, another thing was being said by commanders. We took the risk and a miracle happened,” Komandos said in the interview.

Artak Zeynalyan said the full answer to the question was given by Ter-Petrosyan during one of the rallies. “Without material-technical and military assistance it was impossible to carry out such massive operation in Artsakh and give such battle.”
One of blogs published a material on the same topic on behalf of Commander Zhirayr Sefilyan where it is said that Levon Ter-Petrosyan as country’s president and Supreme Commander could not be unaware of the exact date of the actions.

“Moreover, he was the one to decide the time of attacks. During those days he was criticized for it. Shushi’s liberation could have happened weeks earlier but Levon Ter-Petrosyan decided to do it on May 8, probably for marking the day of liberation of Shushi on the day of victory in World Word II. The first president was being criticized for leaving abroad on the days of attacks to show that it was taking place irrespective of his will. How could a president plan foreign official visits without being aware of the dates?” Zhirayr Sefilyan asked, adding that the circumstance that Levon Ter-Petrosyan does not respond and will not respond to such accusations is agreed with that diplomatic game.

Tert.am tried to clear out the information from Sefilyan, but the latter was at a consultation. A person who picked his phone said the blog presented extracts of interviews of Zhirayr Sefilyan given at different times. But Zhirayr Sefilyan has not told it to the blog.
Former member of “Karabakh” committee, acting national security minister of that time Ashot Manucharyan said he is rather surprised with the words of Arkady Ter-Tadevosyan.

“I hear for the first time that Ter-Petrosyan was reporting to Komandos what was he doing. And you should now yourself that the chief commander was reporting few people about his intentions, opinions and goals.”

Former freedom fighter Davit Amalyan said he does not think that time supreme commander was unaware or was against Shushi operation, on the other hand he said he has no grounds “not to believe Arkady Ivanovich.”