People of all ages, men and women, have been lining up at military commissariats in Armenia since early this morning as part of the country’s declared general mobilization following the outbreak of fighting along the Artsakh-Azerbaijan border yesterday.

Hetq visited one of the departure sites in Yerevan.

The recruits are off to the Artsakh frontline by bus.

Satenik, her eyes red with tears, says goodbye to her husband Misak who scolds her.   "Don't cry, why are you crying?"

Misak works as a driver. He took a group of tourists to Artsakh yesterday, but when he heard that clashes had erupted there, he brought the group back. He came to the commissariat to sign up.

Satenik and Misak

The couple has three children: two boys and a girl.

Satenik says that the children are proud that their father is leaving, adding that she would go as well if the children were not so young and if had someone to care for them in her absence.

Army officers on the scene tell us that there are many volunteers among those gathered who haven’t yet registered for the bus to Artsakh.  The registered volunteers will leave before the others.

Voices are heard from the crowd.  Every short conversation is a story.

"Commander, what should we do if we haven’t yet registered. We’re here. That’s what’s important. There are empty seats on the bus. There are six of us here. Let us get on until a new list is drawn up,” a volunteer tells one of the officers in charge.

"I packed your favorite chocolate. Eat it soon before it melts Grab the phone. Why are you leaving it behind? Maybe you can occasionally call," a woman says to one of the people leaving.

"Wow, brother, we are going. They’ve read my name. Give me my bag. Is this bus going to Baku?” says one of the guys, hugging his friend.

"Sweetheart, look, daddy is waving goodbye. Wave back. Look, he's on the bus, say, 'Good luck, daddy, come back soon,'" says a woman, holding the child in her arms and wiping away the tears.

She tells us not to photograph her. She doesn’t want her husband to see her teary-eyed.

"He says we have new dead. Damn," says one woman and looks at her husband, who is about to leave.

Andranik came to say goodbye to his father Garegin, who’s already sitting in the bus. His younger brother is serving in the military. His uncle left for Artsakh yesterday.  

"Before I went to register, it turned out that my father was ahead of me. I was also told that at least one person should stay home. Now I have come to wish him success. Who knows, I can go as well at the last minute,” says Andranik.

Garegin, smiling, says he must go. "There is immediate work to be done. Let's get it done and return," he says.

Harutyun

Everyone has a backpack full of the basics. There are bags of food scattered on the ground brought by the relatives of those leaving.

Harutyun, one of the young men ready to leave, says he told no one in the family that he signed up.

Garegin Manukyan

"If you put my picture on your site, they may find out that. I didn’t tell anyone," he says.

One of those waiting to be sent to Artsakh is Harutyun Azaryan, a former soldier who fought to liberate Shushi in the 1990s. He was called up yesterday.

Seeing Mr. Azaryan off are his wife, mother and one of his three sons.

Harutyun Azaryan and family

Mr. Azaryan’s wife is firmly clutching her husband’s hand. His mother kisses her son’s forehead, her eyes swelling with tears.

“He must go. Each of us, those who can, must go. It’s just that I’m a mother and get upset,” the mother says.

Hers son tells her not to worry and that everything will work out fine.

Everyone sitting in the buses are smiling.

The buses depart when all the seats are taken.

 Those left behind break out in applause every time a bus leaves.