Russian troops stationed in Armenia have started drills and training for the 2019 international ArMY-2019 (officially in Russian АрМИ-2019) military games. The training is being conducted on the Kamkhud and Alagyaz training grounds, both are high altitude areas on Armenia’s highest mountain, Aragats. Both areas have long been used for militaryContinue Reading
According to inside information in the Kremlin, Moscow will not sell “Bal” missile systems to Azerbaijan. This information was first made public through the Russian daily Komersant on 05 December. One of the reasons for the change in policy appears to be that the missile systems have the potential to shift theContinue Reading
Russian 102nd military base in Gyumri, Armenia conducts live-fire exercises involving combat helicopters and armoured vehicles, so was the official news brief from the Russian Ministry of Defence on 19 January 2018. The objective of the drills are locating, targeting and firing on decoy “enemy” targets in difficult weather conditions.More than 40Continue Reading
On 19 January 2018, media outlets started publishing the first photos on an Russian arms transfer of BTR-80 armoured personnel carriers and other military equipment to Azerbaijan. On the same day, Azerbaijan’s Defence Ministry published its news brief on the transfer, stating that military equipment has been received and will beContinue 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
The location of Azerbaijan’s S-300s remained unknown for some time. It was assumed that they would be located near Baku to protect the Azerbaijani capital, along with its oil and military infrastructure from possible Armenian missiles in the case of all-out war. Experts also highlighted the fact that theContinue Reading
SOURCE: New America Weekly on 05 May 2016 by Mirian Jugheli Soft Power… The phrase typically means exertion of influence by one country over others through non-military means. The United States, for example, demonstrated soft power when all of Europe tuned in for the finale of How I Met Your Mother. ButContinue Reading
Russian leader Vladimir Putin received his Armenian counterpart Serj Sargsyan today, 23 August 2017, during what was an official meeting in the Russian coastal city of Sochi. Putin had three important meetings that same day, with Israeli leader Benjamin Nethanyahu and the Vatican’s Secretary of State Pietro Parolin besides Armenia’sContinue Reading
Russian leader Vladimir Putin has welcomed Azerbaijan’s Ilham Aliyev to Sochi this Friday, 21 July 2017. The two met for bilateral talks for the first time since last August, when the two also met their Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani. Among the issues the two will discuss is the status onContinue Reading
Since late November of 2016, there has been much talk about whether or not creating a joint Russian-Armenian military unit would be viable. As of today, 19 July 2017, the Armenian Government has given its positive feedback regarding the deal, essentially waiting for Parliament to endorse it. Some have criticizedContinue Reading
On the 28 June, Russian President Vladimir Putin submitted a bill to the nations legislative body, the Duma, for its ratification. The bill not surprisingly contained plans for the creation of a joint Russian-Armenian military unit and its subsequent development into further units at future dates. This is just oneContinue Reading
More Russian arms reach Azerbaijan as part of an arms deal signed off in 2010 worth $5 billion. At the end of June 2017 around 12 9K123 Khrizantema (Rus. Хризантема) armoured vehicles carrying guided anti-tank missiles were loaded off a special cargo ship on the Caspian. Similar arms and weaponContinue 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
