Azerbaijan launches blasting operations at Sotk Gold deposit

(Horizon Media / SOTK) – Azerbaijan has begun drilling and blasting operations at the portion of the Sotk gold deposit that came under its occupation following the 2020 war, as it moves toward expanded industrial development of the cross-border mine.

AzerGold, Azerbaijan’s state-owned mining company, announced on September 7 that it had carried out its first blasting operation at the deposit, known as Soyudlu in Azerbaijan and Sotk in Armenia. The company is also studying plans for a new ore-processing complex.

The deposit straddles the internationally recognized border between Armenia’s Gegharkunik Province and Karvachar, which was administered by the Republic of Artsakh until Armenian forces withdrew under the November 2020 ceasefire agreement.

AzerGold says it has completed geological surveys and around 18,000 metres of drilling since August 2025, estimating recoverable reserves of approximately 1.03 million ounces of gold.

The expansion comes after years of instability on the Armenian side of the same deposit. Azerbaijani forces invaded into parts of Armenia’s Gegharkunik Province in 2021, while Sotk was repeatedly targeted during subsequent border escalations.

Mining operations on the Armenian side were disrupted by gunfire in 2022 and 2023, forcing repeated employee evacuations. GeoProMining suspended open-pit operations in spring 2023 after determining that mining could no longer be carried out safely, reportedly affecting more than 700 workers.

In September 2023, three Armenian servicemen were killed and two wounded in Azerbaijani attacks near Sotk and Norabak.

AzerGold has not claimed that its current operations extend into Armenian territory. The development nevertheless highlights the contrasting post-war realities around Sotk: expanding production on the Azerbaijani-controlled side and years of military pressure and disrupted mining on the Armenian side.