On 14 December, a new head of the Ministry of Defence (called officially Defence Army) was assigned by Presential decree. The new Head of the Ministry, Major General Karen Abrahamyan is a native of Hadrut region, and has held several prominant positions within the military over the years such asContinue Reading
On 03 September 2018, the Monte Melkonian Military Academy in Armenia marked the graduation of over 40 formed officiers. The officers will be eventually stationed in the country’s numerous military bases, while some will continue in post-graduate programmes for further formation, adquiring diverse expertise in a particular field. Armenia’s DefenceContinue Reading
News got out that on 18 January 2018 Armenian conscript Ernest Hovhannisyan was hospitalised due to a serious traumatic injury. An initial report from Armenia’s Defence Ministry stated that the conscript had caused a self-inflicted injury to himself. Unconfirmed reports mention he had fallen or was thrown, either intentionally orContinue Reading
December 16 saw the signing of a new agreement between Yerevan and Moscow for a $100 million loan aimed at Armenia’s defence sector. The loan will be used between 2018-2022, with a 15-year reimbursement time with a 3% annual interest rate. The agreement specifies that Yerevan can purchase military equipmentContinue Reading
On 14 December 2017 Armenia’s Ministry of Defence signed a contract $1,7 million contract with the Polish Defence conglomerate Lubawa Group for the production and posterior supply to Armenia of military grade equipment. Production will be carried out by Lubawa’s branch in Armenia with its headquarters located in Charentsavan.Continue Reading
The 102nd Russian military base in Armenia started what it officially announced as “tactical and special training exercises” within Armenia’s territory. The participants in the three-day event include units from the motor rifle division, tank and artillery, as well as air defence, reconnaissance and engineering units. The drills areContinue Reading
Between 3-8 December 2017, an Armenian delegation headed by Colonel Arthur Baghdasaryan, the head of Armenia’s Military Police paid an official visit to his Italian counterpart, head of the Carabinieri, Sabino Cavaliere. The visit took place within the framework of bilateral cooperation between the two ministries according to Armenia’s DefenceContinue Reading
Official within the Ministry of Defence in Stepanakert have announced plans for the construction of a new neighbourhood in the southern city of Hadrut. Newly-constructed residential flats in the neighbourhood will provide housing for Armenian officers with one, two and three room flats. The housing programme is carried outContinue Reading
Azeri military units conducted training exercises on aimed at building a NATO-type capacity within the framework of the organisation’s Operational Capabilities Concept. News on the event was published by the Azeri Defence Ministry, which highlighted that the drills included combat and communication (particularly English language communication during such events) coordination carried outContinue Reading
Armenia’s Defense Minister Vigen Sargsyan received the Canadian Ambassador to Armenia John Ronald Cruise on 18 October 2017. The meeting was aimed at discussing and furthering the prospects of cooperation between the two countries in defence field. Defense Minister Sargsyan and the ambassador also expressed readiness to examine theContinue Reading
On 14 October 2017, de facto Nagorno Karabakh President Bako Sahakyan participated in the 25th anniversary commemoration of the founding of the special 8th Motorised Rifle Brigade. The event took place at an undisclosed military base with the presence of high-ranking political, military and religious officials, including Defence Minister LevonContinue Reading
Armenian military authorities in their weekly review of the situation on the line of contact between Artsakh and Azerbaijan have stated the situation as relatively calm. Emitted on 14 October by the Defence Army (technically the Ministry of Defence of Artskah), the statement mentioned that the situation on theContinue Reading
Azerbaijan’s defence minister receives large Turkish delegation headed by the country’s deputy defence minister and the heads of numerous Turkish defence firms. The two sides discussed further military coop. including joint weapons production. Interestingly, Turkish general Bahtiyar Ersay appears in a complete Azeri military uniform on Azerbaijan’s side of the
In January 2024, footage emerged of what appear to be Azeri military personnel in the ethnic-Armenian village of Hakaku, Nagorno Karabakh (NK). The village, along with the entire territory of NK were overran by Azerbaijan’s military during it’s offensive in September 2023. One of the first sources of the footage
Mystery flights from Azerbaijan’s Dallar airbase most likely military helicopter training flights, possibly Mi-8 gunships/transport or even Turkish T-129 gunships (recently seen in Azerbaijan during the “Mustafa Kemal Ataturk 2023” military drills. Neither aircraft had registration numbers according to @flightradar24, but did have call signs (SMK701 and SMK702) and ICAO 24-bit
An updated map of Tagavard village, Nagorno Karabakh, with its western half under Azeri military control and eastern under Karabakhi since the 2020 ceasefire, shows around 38 homes demolished. According to Sentinel Hub maps, the Azeri side demolished the homes between 2 and 12 July 2021. Military positions dividing the
At around 16:00 hours on 24 March 2022, reports emerged of Azeri troops overrunning Farukh village in Nagorno Karabakh. This village of 100 inhabitants lies around 2 km from the new 2020 ceasefire line-of-contact that separates Azeri and Karabakhi Armenian forces; it sits just below a major ridgeline considered a
On 12 March 2022, Nagorno Karabakh authorites reported 60mm mortar shells fired at Farukh village by Azeri troops. While no injuries were reported, a house was damaged. Karabakhi authorites provided photos of the damage, as well as that of an exploded mortar shell. Judging by the photos, NK Observer experts
