The illicit exploitation of the 'Gizilbulagh' gold deposit and the 'Damirli' copper-molybdenum deposit by Armenia, located in the Azerbaijani territory of Russian peacekeepers' temporary deployment, and the monitoring of which was disrupted by the Armenians in early December, has been stopped, News.az reports.

Representatives of Azerbaijani non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have been protesting near Shusha, close to the Russian peacekeepers' temporary deployment area, for the seventeenth day. The protesters demand an end to Armenia's environmental terrorism.

Previously, following the talks with the Russian peacekeepers' command on December 3 and 7, 2022, a group of experts from the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, the State Property Service under the Ministry of Economy, and AzerGold CJSC were going to begin preliminary monitoring of the illicit mineral resource exploitation, as well as emerging environmental implications on Azerbaijani lands, where the Russian peacekeepers are temporarily deployed, on December 10, 2022.

The expert team was expected to inspect the environmental condition at the 'Gizilbulagh' gold deposit and the 'Damirli' copper-molybdenum deposit, monitor various areas, organize cadastral property records, assess potential risks and threats to the environment, as well as to underground and surface water sources.