[ Putin's ERA betrayal backstabbing] Big brother Russia

[Yervant1]

Eurasianet

Sept 3 2024

 

Armenia to Russia: Thanks, but no thanks on mediation offer

Pashinyan intent on sealing peace deal directly with Azerbaijan.

Ani Avetisyan Sep 3, 2024

It seems Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov huffed and puffed and then … stopped trying to strong arm Armenia into giving the Kremlin a say in the Armenian-Azerbaijani peace process.

Lavrov spent a portion of the last week grousing about a decision by Armenia and Azerbaijan to set aside differences over a transit arrangement, dubbed the Zangezur corridor, amid discussions on a durable peace deal between the two states. The decision to address Zangezur separately from a peace pact stands to greatly diminish Russian influence in the region. Under a blueprint drafted in 2020, Russian forces would have had a major role in ensuring “security” in the Zangezur corridor.

The Kremlin didn’t accept the development quietly. During an August 18-19 visit to Azerbaijan, Russian leader Vladimir Putin dropped not-so-subtle hints that he wants to remain a powerbroker in the Caucasus. And in a late August interview broadcast on Azerbaijani television, Lavrov lashed out at Armenia, claiming Yerevan is reneging on an agreement signed in 2020 concerning the Zangezur corridor. “It is the Armenian leadership that is sabotaging an agreement signed by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. It is difficult to understand the meaning of such a position,” Lavrov complained.

The heavy-handed approach did little to sway Pashinyan. During an August 31 news conference, the Armenian prime minister emphatically stated that Yerevan sought to finalize a peace pact with Baku without any third-party assistance. He went on to deride Russian leaders’ efforts to cast themselves as disinterested peacemakers. “How do you imagine that, for example, a country that accuses Armenia of sabotaging that topic [transit arrangements] can act as a mediator in regional transit arrangements? The one who makes such a statement excludes himself from all possible mediations,” Pashinyan stated.

“I can say that regional transit routes have not been opened up to this point, including due to the comments of a number of Russian partners that have nothing to do with the logic of the document [the 2020 blueprint] and contradict it,” he added.

The verbal sparring over Zangezur ended with Lavrov seeming to give up on efforts to cajole Yerevan into acceding to the Kremlin’s wishes. If Armenia wants to make peace with Azerbaijan without Russian mediation, “so be it,” the official Russian news agency TASS quoted Lavrov as saying during a meeting with students at MGIMO University in Moscow on September 2.

Moscow, Baku and Ankara had been pushing for the creation of the Zangezur corridor since late 2020. The route would connect Azerbaijan and Turkey, with Russia serving as the security guarantor. Yerevan strongly opposed the project and any foreign control over the transit route, instead suggesting a route under Armenian control and following Armenia’s customs regulations. The issue had been a major sticking point in peace talks. 

With the Zangezur deadlock now set aside for further negotiations at a later, undetermined date, Russia seems to have lost a lot of leverage in the Caucasus. The biggest remaining obstacle to a peace settlement now appears to be Azerbaijan’s insistence that Yerevan alter the Armenian constitution to acknowledge Baku’s sovereignty over the Nagorno-Karabakh territory.

Since Armenia’s loss of Karabakh to Azerbaijan in September 2023, Yerevan has sought to distance itself from Russia, its erstwhile strategic partner, and seek closer relations with the United States and European Union. Armenia remains economically reliant on Russia, but Moscow has given no indication to date that it will use its economic leverage over Yerevan to get what it wants on the Zangezur question.

https://eurasianet.org/armenia-to-russia-thanks-but-no-thanks-on-mediation-offer

[Yervant1]

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Azatutyun.am

 

Russian Stance On Corridor Through Armenia ‘Clarified To Iran’

Սեպտեմբեր 11, 2024

 

IRAN - Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov speaks to journalists after talks in Tehran, October 23, 2023.

 

Russia said on Wednesday that it has clarified to Iran its renewed calls for a transport corridor to Azerbaijan’s Nakhichevan exclave passing through Armenia which have prompted angry reactions from Tehran.

“We are in constant contact with our [Iranian] partners,” said Maria Zakharova, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman. “We have provided all the necessary clarifications on this matter. We assume that the arguments presented by us have been heard and accepted in Tehran.”

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov sparked the Iranian uproar with his August 19 statement accusing Armenia of “sabotaging” a Russian-brokered agreement to build a highway and railway connecting Nakhichevan to the rest of Azerbaijan via Syunik, the only Armenian province bordering Iran.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry reportedly summoned Russia’s ambassador in Tehran last week to warn Moscow against contributing to any “geopolitical changes” in the region. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi tweeted on September 5 against “any threat from North, South, East, or West to territorial integrity of our neighbors is … a red line for Iran.” Senior Iranian lawmakers and government-linked media outlets openly denounced Moscow in the following days.

“It is clear that the anti-Russian information campaign was inspired by certain circles that use any, even the most absurd opportunity, to sow discord in the expanding strategic partnership between Moscow and Tehran,” Zakharova told a news briefing.

“Insinuations circulated by media about a change of the existing geopolitical borders and threats to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Armenia … do not correspond to reality,” she said.

Abbas Araghchi attends a parliament session in Tehran, August 17, 2024.

The secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Ali Akbar Ahmadian, reportedly heard such assurances from his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu at a meeting in Saint Petersburg on Tuesday. According to the Iranian Mehr news agency, Shoigu told Ahmadian that “Russia adheres to previous agreements with Tehran” regarding new transport links four Nakhichevan.

Zakharova likewise insisted that Russia’s position on the issue “hasn’t undergone any changes.” She said Moscow simply wants Armenia to comply with Paragraph 9 of a Russian-brokered ceasefire deal that stopped the 2020 war in Nagorno-Karabakh.

It says that Yerevan will “guarantee the security of transport links” between Nakhichevan and the rest of Azerbaijan and also stipulates that Russian border guards will “control” the movement of people, vehicles and goods through Syunik.

Baku wants people and goods moving between Nakhichevan to the rest of Azerbaijan to be exempt from Armenian border controls. Yerevan rejects these demands.

Armenian officials also say the truce accord does not allow the Russian border guards to escort the traffic to and from the Azerbaijani exclave, let alone be involved in border controls. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian reaffirmed this stance when he spoke in the Armenian parliament later on Wednesday.

“Where is it written that these FSB border guards must be on the ground?” he said. “There is no such thing written.”

Pashinian also argued that the clause cited by the Russians does not limit “Armenia’s sovereignty over any part of its territory.”

 

 

https://www.azatutyun.am/a/33116439.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawFPTJ5leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHWhMrujIWMytRUg5jD2hpgG22rcplgVmejonGcEirsJFmdlDzeQ1XLb5Kw_aem_kzzb07n1Uutox-zLKZ85nw

[Yervant1]

Azatutyun.am

 

Top Russian Official Visits Armenia Amid Tensions

Սեպտեմբեր 13, 2024

 

Armenia - Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian meets with Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk, Yerevan, September 13, 2024.

 

A senior Russian official who has mediated Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations visited Armenia on Friday following Moscow’s accusations that Yerevan is torpedoing an agreement to give Azerbaijan a transport corridor to its Nakhichevan exclave.

Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk held separate talks with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and one of his two deputies, Mher Grigorian.

According to the official Russian and Armenian readouts, Overchuk and Pashinian discussed Russian-Armenian relations as well as bilateral cooperation within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU). No other details were reported.

Galuzin and Grigorian, who co-head a Russian-Armenian intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation, were joined by several officials from the two states at their ensuing meeting. A Russian government statement said they focused on the “implementation of joint projects in the fields of industry, energy, transport and logistics, finance and investment.”

The statement did not say whether those include the planned construction of a highway and a railway that would connect Azerbaijan to its Nakhichevan exclave through Armenia’s strategic Syunik province. Overchuk and Grigorian also co-chair, together with an Azerbaijani vice-premier, a trilateral working group tasked with working out the practical modalities of those transport links.

Late last month, the Russian Foreign Ministry accused the Armenian side of not complying with concrete agreements that were reached by the group in June 2023. Yerevan rejected the accusations that added to tensions between the two longtime allies. Russian and Armenian officials have traded more barbs since then.

Speaking during the meeting with Grigorian, Overchuk stressed that Russian-Armenian ties are continuing to deepen “in all sectors of the economy.”

“Figures and facts speak louder than words,” the Russian statement quoted him as saying. “In 2023, bilateral trade between Russia and Armenia grew by 55.8 percent, to $7.4 billion. This year, growth has accelerated. In the first half of this year alone, trade turnover between our countries amounted to $8.4 billion.”

Overchuk also emphasized the broader economic benefits of Armenia’s membership in the EEU. The South Caucasus nation’s GDP per capita has more than doubled since it joined the Russian-led trade bloc in 2015, he said.

One of the Russian officials accompanying Overchuk on the trip, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin, claimed in June that the West will eventually pressure Armenia to leave the EEU. He warned that bowing to such pressure would mean “losing the main [export] market for Armenian business.”

 

 

https://www.azatutyun.am/a/33119169.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawFR56xleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHdUebT_6Rj6HyxQWNiSOKy84skVHV-IJhxbeCQ3VQDX0iyx4QYYjMdSsBw_aem_VbfgFCBl0mnF-8FVw2Kgzg

[MosJan]

putin hopar lav es ?

 

 

[Yervant1]

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Business Upturn

Sept 18 2024

 

 

Moscow disagrees with Armenian PM over CSTO threat claims amid strained relations

The CSTO, which includes several former Soviet states such as Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan, was founded to protect its members from external threats.

By Garima Singla

 

Armenia is facing a crossroads in its foreign policy as tensions rise with Russia over the role of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s recent claim that the CSTO, a Moscow-led military alliance, could pose a threat to Armenia has sparked debate about the country’s future within the organization. His remarks reflect broader frustration in Yerevan over the CSTO’s perceived lack of support during Armenia’s 2020 conflict with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh.

The CSTO, which includes several former Soviet states such as Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan, was founded to protect its members from external threats. For years, Armenia has been a key ally of Moscow, relying heavily on the security organization. However, during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, when Azerbaijan reclaimed significant territory, the CSTO did not intervene, a point of contention that has only intensified as tensions with Azerbaijan remain high.

Pashinyan has repeatedly voiced dissatisfaction with the CSTO, questioning whether the alliance truly serves Armenia’s security needs. The prime minister’s comments signal a potential shift in Armenia’s foreign policy, as the country appears to be exploring alternatives, including strengthening ties with Western institutions like NATO and the European Union. This pivot comes at a time when Armenia seeks to secure its national security in the face of a resurgent Azerbaijan, which continues to assert claims over Nagorno-Karabakh.

Moscow, however, has been quick to dismiss Pashinyan’s claims. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov defended the CSTO, asserting that the alliance is designed to protect its members, not threaten them. Peskov reiterated Russia’s commitment to Armenia as a strategic ally, but his comments also underscored Moscow’s concern over Yerevan’s possible foreign policy shift.

 

https://www.businessupturn.com/asia/northern-asia/russia/moscow-disagrees-with-armenian-pm-over-csto-threat-claims-amid-strained-relations/37763/

[Yervant1]

POLITICO

Sept 18 2024

 

 

Russia tried to stage coup in Armenia, prosecutors allege

A traditional Moscow ally, Armenia has pivoted to the West since the Ukraine war began, and its PM now says it could seek EU membership.

 

By Gabriel Gavin

 

Moscow paid and trained a ring of insurgents in a bid to overthrow Armenia’s pro-Western government earlier this year, prosecutors in the country have said, but local security forces disrupted the alleged plot.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Armenia said seven people would be charged with “preparing to usurp power … using violence and the threat of violence to take over the powers of government.”

According to the officials, six Armenians were recruited to undergo three months of training in Russia and were paid monthly salaries of 220,000 rubles ($2,377) while learning how to use weaponry. They also reportedly underwent background checks and polygraph tests to determine their allegiances, before being transferred to “Arbat military base” in Rostov-on-Don, southern Russia.

 

The Russian Ministry of Defense did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Relations between Armenia and its historical ally, Russia, have soured since Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022, with the South Caucasus country freezing its membership of the Moscow-led CSTO military alliance, dispatching humanitarian aid to Kyiv and staging joint drills with U.S. forces.

At the same time, Armenia’s long-time rival Azerbaijan has forged closer relations with the Kremlin, with President Ilham Aliyev holding friendly talks with President Vladimir Putin in Baku last month. Moscow has accused the EU of trespassing in its self-declared sphere of influence by signing partnership deals with the Armenian government.

Russian border guards, who had been stationed in Armenia since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, were asked to withdraw from their posts earlier this year. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan told POLITICO in September 2023 that a Russian peacekeeping mission in Azerbaijan’s breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region had failed to do its job. Just days later, Moscow’s forces stood aside when Azerbaijan launched a new offensive in the enclave, sparking the mass exodus of its entire Armenian population.

Speaking earlier on Wednesday, Pashinyan vowed that Armenia’s pivot toward the West would continue. “If we see a more or less realistic possibility of becoming a full member of the European Union,” he said, “we will not miss that moment.”

https://www.politico.eu/article/russia-stage-violent-coup-armenia-investigation-allegiation/

 

[Yervant1]

Kyrgyzstan - Sept 19 2024

 

 

Kremlin reacts to Armenian PM's statements about CSTO threat for Armenia

 

 

AKIPRESS.COM - The Kremlin absolutely disagrees with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who called the Collective Security Treaty Organization a threat for the country, RIA Novosti reported.

"We must absolutely disagree with Mr Pashinyan. Any danger for sovereignty of Armenia can't emanate from CSTO. On the contrary, this Organization stands on guard of sovereignty of CSTO member states. But we will patiently convey this position to the Armenian leadership," Russian President's press secretary Dmitry Peskov said.

On September 18, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said his country is close to the point of no-return in relations with CSTO. He explained the decision to freeze membership in the Organization with that CSTO "poses threats to security of Armenia, its sovereignty and statehood". Nikol Pashinyan said Armenia wants to join the European Union this year.

https://akipress.com/news:796642:Kremlin_reacts_to_Armenian_PM_s_statements_about_CSTO_threat_for_Armenia/ 

 

 

[Yervant1]

OC Media

Sept 19 2024

 

Russian hackers reportedly attack Armenian government database

 19 September 2024

ByArshaluys Barseghyan

 

Russian hackers have reportedly hacked into an Armenian government-operated database. Armenia has previously been the target of a number of cyberattacks by Russian hackers amidst an ongoing deterioration of its relations with Russia.

Reports of the attack first emerged on Wednesday, with RFE/RL citing a Telegram post in a private, inaccessible channel allegedly run by a Russian hacking group that claimed to have successfully infiltrated the database using an FTP code transfer system.

‘The database is at our disposal’, the hackers declared.

The group reportedly demanded that the government transfer them $2.5 million within the next 48 hours, or else the database would be destroyed.

Later that evening, the Prime Minister's Office told Armenpress that the relevant authorities were verifying the authenticity of these reports, noting that they ‘do not have confirmation at this moment.’

Artur Papyan, the co-founder of CyberHub, a group of cyber security experts providing support to Armenian civil society, journalists, and independent media, told OC Media that the attack did not appear to be noteworthy. According to him the Russian group Cyber Wolves claimed responsibility for the attack, and soon after dropped the demanded ransom to $30,000.

Based on the information published by the group, viewed by Papyan and other CyberHub employees, the group hacked a government FTP server that provided semi-public access to unedited government footage. 

 

In June, several government websites, including those of the National Security Service, the police, the official websites of the Prime Minister and the President, and of the Armenian Embassy in Ukraine, were targeted by the People’s Cyber Army of Russia, a group known for launching coordinated cyberattacks, particularly Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. 

‘The attacks appear to be politically motivated, targeting Armenia’s perceived shift towards Western alignment and away from traditional ties with Russia,’ said CyberHub at the time.

‘This group operates primarily through Telegram channels where they invite collaborators, provide them with the necessary tools and techniques, and coordinate their attacks. They offer detailed instructions on how to download, install, and configure DDoS attacking software, facilitating widespread participation in their campaigns,’ CyberHub explained.

CyberHub also said that the People’s Cyber Army of Russia has been involved in various significant cyber incidents in Ukraine, Estonia, and Georgia, among other countries, and that ‘their activities are motivated by geopolitical tensions and are often directed at countries and entities perceived as adversaries of Russia’. 

In Armenia’s case, the group announced that these attacks were due to Armenia’s failure to strengthen historical ties with Russia and its growing alignment with Western countries, including the possibility of Armenia leaving the CSTO and Armenian government support for Ukraine.

They also expressed support for the anti-government Tavush for the Motherland movement.

Armenian government websites, as well as banks and telecom operators, have faced a number of cyberattacks this year, all of which, CyberHub has claimed, were launched by Russian or Russian-affiliated groups.

This most recent cyberattack occurred the same day Pashinyan accused the Russian-led CSTO of creating ‘threats to the security of Armenia, its future existence, sovereignty and statehood’.

The statements were dismissed by Moscow, with Russia’s presidential spokesperson Dmitri Peskov saying the security bloc ‘guards the sovereignty of its member states’.

https://oc-media.org/russian-hackers-reportedly-attack-armenian-government-database/

[Yervant1]

eurasianet

Oct 1 2024

 

Who’s faking who? Armenia asserts Russia was behind coup attempt; Moscow cries “fake” news

Armenian officials aren’t releasing details, citing continuing investigation.

Ani Avetisyan Oct 1, 2024

Weeks after the Armenian government accused Russia of fomenting a rebellion, authorities in Yerevan have yet to present substantiating evidence.

Citing the ongoing investigation, Armenian officials have not provided updates on the alleged coup plot beyond the broad, initial accusation made on September 18. At that time, representatives of Armenia’s prosecutor’s office asserted Russian agents were active in trying to recruit Armenian nationals to form an armed group intent on toppling Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s administration.

The supposed recruits were said to receive training at a Russian Defense Ministry-operated camp inside Russia, dubbed “ArBat.” Further details about the camp, including its location, have not been publicly revealed. RFE/RL identified one of the suspected leaders of the coup conspiracy as Serob Gasparyan, the leader of the radical group Sev Hovaz (Black Panther) and a vocal critic of Pashinyan’s leadership. His lawyer, Gurgen Grigoryan, denied all charges on Gasparyan’s behalf.

Russian officials have likewise labeled the Armenian government’s allegation as “fake” news. “The attempts of a number of Armenia’s officials to spin the report of the Investigative Committee of Armenia on preventing the coup attempt, to find some Russian trace in it, are absurd,” said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.

Maintaining a straight face, she added that “unlike the West,” the Kremlin does not meddle in the affairs of other countries.

A battalion comprising Armenians is known to be fighting as part of the pro-Russian Pyatnashka International Brigade in Ukraine. This group, sometimes compared to the mercenary Wagner Group, has deep ties to Russian military and intelligence services, raising concerns about Moscow’s involvement in efforts to destabilize foreign governments.

This is not the first time Pashinyan’s embattled government has cried coup as it tries to forge a peace deal with Azerbaijan in the face of significant domestic opposition. In 2023, authorities aired similar coup plot accusations. Such instances underscore the ongoing political instability in Armenia, where opposition factions are openly disillusioned by the government’s handling of national security and foreign policy.

Amid the coup attempt controversy, a Russian hacker group announced it had broken into the database of the Armenian Prime Minister’s Office, demanding a $2.5 million ransom to release the files. The government announced it was investigating the case, but no further information has been made public. Data security experts have downplayed the seriousness of the attack.

Prior to 2020, Armenia and Russia were strategic partners. But the Armenian government has moved to bolster relations with the West over the past year, while accusing Russia of failing to fulfill security guarantees and treaty obligations during the Second Karabakh War, which ended with Azerbaijan’s reconquest of the contested territory. In a statement issued in mid-September, Pashinyan reaffirmed that Armenia’s pivot toward the West will continue, adding that Yerevan will apply for EU membership at the first “realistic opportunity.”

Pashinyan also has announced that Armenia is nearing the “point of no return” in its participation in the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty (CSTO). Yerevan recently boycotted a CSTO foreign ministers’ meeting, as well as skipped joint military exercises held by member states that kicked off on September 26.

https://eurasianet.org/whos-faking-who-armenia-asserts-russia-was-behind-coup-attempt-moscow-cries-fake-news

[Yervant1]

RIA OREANDA, Russia

Oct 8 2024

 

• Putin to meet with Aliyev and Pashinyan

 

 

Source: OREANDA-NEWS

 

OREANDA-NEWS Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold separate meetings with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. This was stated by Russian Presidential aide Yuri Ushakov, RIA Novosti reports.

Ushakov said that Putin will meet with Aliyev and Pashinyan before the meeting of the Council of Heads of state of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). It is noted that the Russian leader will meet with his Azerbaijani and Armenian counterparts separately.

"The president will hold two bilateral meetings," the presidential aide stressed.

Earlier, Pashinyan told Putin about the need to strengthen relations between Russia and Armenia. He also expressed hope for the intensification of beneficial cooperation between the states.

https://www.oreanda-news.com/en/gosudarstvo/putin-to-meet-with-aliyev-and-pashinyan/article1531435/

 

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[Yervant1]

Azatutyun.am

 

Russia Claims U.S. Pushes Armenia ‘To Commit National Suicide’

Նոյեմբեր 07, 2024

 

The view of the Kremlin in the Russian capital of Moscow (illustrative photograph)

 

Russia has accused the United States of pushing Armenia to commit “national suicide” by “stimulating the activity of pro-Western structures” in the country and “trying to accelerate its adoption of a pro-Western foreign policy.”

Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) claimed on Thursday that in doing so Washington is “using methods tested in Ukraine and Moldova.”

“There is a task to give a sustainable anti-Russian direction to the public and political processes in Armenia. To this end, Washington intends to carry out a long-term information and propaganda campaign that, among other things, is aimed at discrediting Yerevan’s prospects for cooperation with Russia, the Eurasian Economic Union, and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), and spreading reports about “pressure” on Armenian migrant workers in Russia,” the SVR claimed, as quoted by Russian media.

Relations between Armenia and Russia have been deteriorating since 2022 when Yerevan accused Moscow of failing to honor its commitment to defend Armenia’s borders after a series of cross-border incursions by Azerbaijan.

It was then that Armenia invited a European border-monitoring mission, a move that notably angered Moscow.

The relations between the two formal allies further soured after the September 2023 exodus of the ethnic Armenian population from Nagorno-Karabakh, where a Russian peacekeeping force had been deployed since the end of the 2020 Armenian-Azerbaijani war to protect the local Armenians.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian announced early this year the effective suspension of Armenia’s membership in the CSTO and said its formal exit from the Russian-led military alliance is only a matter of time. He declared in September that the CSTO poses an existential threat to his country.

Last summer, Russia withdrew its border guards from Yerevan’s Zvartnots international airport following an agreement between Pashinian and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Later this year the two leaders also agreed that Russian border guards will withdraw from the Armenian-Iranian frontier checkpoint on January 1, 2025 and that beginning next year Armenian border guards “will also participate in the protection” of their country’s borders with Iran and Turkey alongside their Russian counterparts.

Russian border guards have manned Armenia’s borders with Iran and Turkey under an interstate agreement reached by Yerevan and Moscow in 1992, shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Russia also has a military base in the northwestern Armenian city of Gyumri under another agreement signed with Armenia in the 1990s.

 

 

https://www.azatutyun.am/a/33191927.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawGam3BleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHQNexM7Q3mB544luwnHQg-Tu1EzFkySKQiQVPjao9WL6rJsDWg_jVAm7rA_aem_v1cj3vKEsxnvC9nxt44SMg

[Yervant1]

Bulgarian Military

Nov 10 2024

 

Russia uses Armenian-paid, undelivered Tor-M2 air defense system

By Boyko Nikolov

A recent image has emerged online that allegedly depicts a Russian-made Tor-M2KM air defense system, painted in the camouflage colors of the Armenian Armed Forces. The image is claimed by Clash Report to show the system, which Armenia had reportedly paid for but has yet to receive. This incident is not an isolated one, as Armenia has repeatedly accused Russia of withholding military supplies that were already paid for, including ammunition, weapons, and other defense systems, despite prior agreements.

 

In 2023 and 2024, Armenia raised the issue multiple times, alleging that Russia had failed to deliver critical military equipment. These accusations were part of growing frustration in Armenia over its relationship with Russia, which had historically been one of its most trusted military partners. The frustration was particularly evident after the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and rising tensions with Azerbaijan, which put Armenia’s national security under further strain.

Armenia’s primary grievances focused on the delays in delivering essential military assets, such as air defense systems, artillery shells, and other modern weaponry. These contracts were signed years ago, but Russia has yet to meet its obligations, according to Armenian military sources. The Armenian government has argued that this failure to deliver crucial supplies endangers national security, especially considering the volatile geopolitical situation in the region.

In response, Armenia has begun to look toward alternative sources of support, including Western countries and Iran, in an effort to fulfill its defense needs. Russia, however, has dismissed the accusations, citing logistical challenges and the complexities of the defense industry as reasons for the delay. Yet, these explanations have done little to calm the rising discontent in Armenia, where many had relied on Russia as a primary supplier of weapons and military support.

 

This controversy comes amidst broader claims that Russia has been redirecting arms and military equipment meant for other nations to the frontlines of its war in Ukraine. There are photographic reports suggesting that Russian military units have utilized tanks originally intended for Indian repairs before the war, along with weaponry from Venezuela and Syria that was likely redirected to the conflict in Ukraine.

Armenia’s case, however, is not unique. Similar reports of undelivered or repurposed military equipment can also be found regarding Syria. Despite Russia’s deliveries of S-300 air defense systems to Damascus, the country has faced severe challenges in fulfilling its military commitments to Syria, resulting in delays and a lack of vital parts, including replacement missiles. This pattern points to a broader trend of Russia’s failure to fulfill its defense obligations, both to allies and international clients.

The Tor-M2KM system, which Armenia reportedly paid for, is a Russian mobile short-range air defense system designed to protect tactical assets from a variety of aerial threats. It is an upgraded version of the original Tor-M2, enhanced with new features that allow it to more effectively engage modern, agile airborne threats. Built for rapid deployment in diverse environmental conditions, the Tor-M2KM is a highly versatile asset for modern combat scenarios. Its primary weapon is the 9M338 missile, an advanced version of its predecessor’s missile, capable of engaging aircraft, missiles, drones, and other low-altitude threats at close ranges.

 

The Tor-M2KM system integrates a series of advanced sensors that provide high accuracy for detecting and tracking targets. Its main radar, the 3RS24 “Zarya,” operates across multiple frequencies and can detect small and fast-moving objects, such as drones or incoming missiles, at ranges of up to 25-30 kilometers. This capability allows the system to react quickly, often before a target is in close striking distance. The radar is also resilient against electronic interference, making it highly effective in contemporary warfare environments, where such disruptions are increasingly common.

In addition to the primary radar, the Tor-M2KM also employs a 3D radar system for missile guidance and target acquisition, with an effective range of up to 30 kilometers. This combined radar approach ensures that the system can detect and neutralize aerial threats quickly, even under electronic warfare conditions. The fire control system integrated into the Tor-M2KM optimizes the missile launch process, enabling fast decisions and accurate engagements with minimal delay.

The Tor-M2KM is part of a new generation of air defense systems that can function independently or as part of a larger network of integrated air defense systems. Its mobility is a critical advantage, allowing it to be rapidly deployed to different terrains and locations, a key feature in modern military operations. The system can be easily transported by military trucks and set up in just a few minutes, offering a quick reaction time of approximately five seconds to detect targets and 10-15 seconds to launch missiles. These capabilities make the Tor-M2KM one of the fastest-reacting air defense systems available.

 

On top of this, the Tor-M2KM is equipped with advanced electronic warfare countermeasures, giving it a significant edge against attempts to disrupt its operations. This resilience to jamming and electronic interference ensures that the system remains operational in contested environments, where adversaries might deploy sophisticated electronic attacks.

Ultimately, the Tor-M2KM highlights the ongoing advancements in Russia’s air defense capabilities and its efforts to offer cutting-edge solutions for countering a wide range of airborne threats. Its integration with other air defense systems further enhances its effectiveness, positioning it as a key asset in both tactical and strategic defense operations. However, the failure to deliver these systems as promised to countries like Armenia reflects the growing challenge that Russia faces in fulfilling its military commitments and maintaining trust with its partners.

In conclusion, the controversy surrounding the Tor-M2KM and other undelivered weapons not only sheds light on the logistical challenges Russia faces but also signals a shift in alliances, as nations like Armenia seek alternative defense partners. The broader implications of Russia’s failure to meet its defense commitments could reshape military dynamics in the region, as well as its relationships with clients around the world.

https://bulgarianmilitary.com/2024/11/10/russia-uses-armenian-paid-undelivered-tor-m2-air-defense-system/

[Yervant1]

ARKA, Armenia

Nov 28 2024

 

 

Putin: ‘Today's situation between Armenia and CSTO most likely dictated by internal political processes in Armenia itself’

28.11.2024, 18:15

The situation between Armenia and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is most likely dictated by internal political processes in Armenia itself, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed today.

YEREVAN, 28 November. /ARKA/. The situation between Armenia and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is most likely dictated by internal political processes in Armenia itself, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed today.

‘Each country has the right to choose what it wants to do for ensuring its security. I think that today's situation between Armenia and the CSTO is most likely dictated by internal political processes in Armenia itself. Of course, it is all connected with the consequences of the crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh,‘ Pution said on the sidelines of the CSTO leaders’ meeting in Astana.

Putin did not rule out that Armenia could return to full participation in the CSTO.

 

‘This is a very sensitive issue. It is always easy to make some assessments from the outside - it is always more complicated from inside. In my opinion, any member country of the organisation should determine for itself what corresponds to its national interests. We will treat it with respect - that's the first thing. Secondly, Armenia has not announced its withdrawal. It said that it is taking a pause, but at the same time it supports all the documents that are adopted during our meeting today.  If that is so, then there is a possibility that Armenia would return to full-scale work within CSTO. We'll see. I will repeat once again, the decision in the end, of course, is up to the member country of the organisation,’ Putin said.

Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan did not participate in the gathering

In February 2024, Armenia announced the freezing of its membership in the CSTO and later also refused to pay membership fees to the Russia-led organisation.

On 12 June, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that the next logical step in relations with the CSTO would be to withdraw from the military pact, which failed to protect its member Armenia when Azerbaijan invades parts of its territory.

On 18 September, Pashinyan said that the CSTO was not fulfilling its defence commitments to Armenia and was creating existential threats to its security and sovereignty. -0-

https://arka.am/en/news/politics/putin-today-s-situation-between-armenia-and-csto-most-likely-dictated-by-internal-political-processe/

[Yervant1]

Hiding behind technicality called bs!

 

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EurAsia Daily

Nov 28 2024

 

Putin explained why the CSTO did not intervene in the conflict in Karabakh

 

 

The CSTO helps the participating countries only in case of external aggression, so Armenia could not expect the CSTO's support in the conflict with Azerbaijan, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

 

"The events in Karabakh have their own specifics: Armenia did not recognize Karabakh as an independent state and certainly did not include Karabakh in its perimeter. It means that everything that happened in Karabakh has no legal relation to Armenia, so it's a bit strange to pretend that the CSTO fought on the territory of this enclave," Putin explained.

 

The Armenian authorities claim that the CSTO has done nothing to protect the country in this conflict, so Yerevan has frozen its membership in the Organization.

 

"But the CSTO has nothing to do with it, because there was no external aggression against Armenia itself. The CSTO is designed to protect its member countries from external aggression," Putin stressed.

The Armenian side is now refusing all meetings in the CSTO format, but supports all documents adopted by the organization.

Putin does not rule out that Armenia will return to full-fledged participation in the CSTO.

https://eadaily.com/en/news/2024/11/28/putin-explained-why-the-csto-did-not-intervene-in-the-conflict-in-karabakh

 

 

[Yervant1]

Lying comes naturally to some! 😬

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OC Media

Nov 29 2024

 

 

Outrage in Armenia over Putin’s controversial statement on CSTO 

 29 November 2024

ByArshaluys Barseghyan

 

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s statement that there was no external attack against Armenia, and therefore no legal reason for launching the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO)’s protection clause, has sparked outrage in Armenia, with many arguing the claim was false and served to obfuscate Azerbaijan's attack on Armenia. 

On Thursday, in response to a question at the CSTO summit in Kazakhstan, which Armenia sat out, Putin claimed that the CSTO had nothing to do with the developments in Nagorno-Karabakh and further insisted that ‘there was no aggression against Armenia’.

‘The CSTO is designed to protect member countries from external aggression. The events related to Nagorno-Karabakh have their own specifics, because Armenia did not recognize Karabakh as an independent state, and certainly did not include Karabakh in its state perimeter. This means that everything that happened in Karabakh, from a legal point of view, has no direct relation to Armenia,’ Putin said.

Putin suggested that the Armenian leadership had claimed that the CSTO should fight on the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, which he characterised as ‘strange’. 

The statement caused outrage in Armenia, with local fact-checkers quickly debunking the claims.

Fip.am wrote that Armenia did not ask for help from the CSTO during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, but instead appealed for military assistance during the Azerbaijani attack on Armenia in September 2022.

Sossi Tatikyan, a foreign policy and security analyst, called for the Armenian government to ‘clearly expose Putin's totally disingenuous statements, as well as legally formalise and finalise its exit from the CSTO’.

 

Tatikyan said Putin’s ‘false and manipulative statement’ was aimed at denying Azerbaijan’s violation of territorial integrity of Armenia through successive military offensives, which resulted in the ‘occupation of [roughly] 250 square kilometres of sovereign [Armenian] territory’.

Gayane Abrahamyan, a former MP from the ruling faction and founder of a local rights NGO, wrote that Putin’s statement was ‘yet another confirmation and a green light to his ally [Azerbaijani President Ilham] Aliyev, that we do not consider Jermuk and the other occupied territories as part of the sovereign territory of Armenia, so you can calmly solve the issue of the corridor.’ 

Abrahamyan was referring to the so-called ‘Zangezur Corridor’ through southern Armenia, which would theoretically connect western Azerbaijan with the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan. Aliyev threatened in 2021 to use force to establish the ‘corridor’ 

Armenia ‘froze’ its membership in the CSTO in February, citing the refusal of the alliance to aid Armenia in the face of Azerbaijani attacks in 2021 and 2022.

According to Putin, Armenia’s current attitude toward the CSTO is ‘most likely’ dictated by internal political processes all of which are ‘connected with the consequences of the crisis in Karabakh.’

The Russian president also said that Armenia has not announced its withdrawal from the CSTO, claiming that ‘it supports all the documents that were adopted during our meeting today and during the negotiations’. 

‘It is drawing our attention to this point.  If this is so, then there is a possibility that Armenia will return to full-scale work within the framework of this organization,’ Putin said.

 For ease of reading, we choose not to use qualifiers such as ‘de facto’, ‘unrecognised’, or ‘partially recognised’ when discussing institutions or political positions within Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh, and South Ossetia. This does not imply a position on their status.

https://oc-media.org/outrage-in-armenia-over-putins-controversial-statement-on-csto/