Nagorno Garabagh

An employee of “Argumenty i Fakty” newspaper of Russia has been in Yerevan, capital of Armenia and wrote down his impressions.

APA presents the article in abbreviated form:

Everywhere you look in Yerevan, you see cars with black and white photos of young men in military uniforms on the rear window. These are the cars of fathers, brothers, or sons of Armenians died in Karabakh in 44 days Azerbaijan-Armenian war.

According to official information, 4 thousand, but to unofficial information, 7 thousand Armenians have been killed. It is a big loss for a country with less than three million population. “It was as if everywhere has been covered with plague – Armen Mnatsakanyan, who was called up to the army with mobilization when the war began, speaks showing his hand, he does not have two fingers- I did not even manage to fight. I went to the front, two days later we sat in the post, drinking cognac, suddenly heard a slight buzz. I opened my eyes that I am at the hospital. It became known that an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV - ed.) struck. My comrades were torn to pieces, and I miraculously survived”.

The Karabakh War continued from September 27, 2020, to November 10 2020 showed that only courage is not enough in the war. Alongside the evaluation of the power of the opposite with a clear head, strict discipline and modern technical equipment are also important.

“Azerbaijan has started arming from 1994”.- The former captain of the Armenian army Suren Ter-Gukasyan admits: “Only during 9 years, Azerbaijan has spent 24 bln. dollars on military defense, this is 11% of the budget of the country. Azerbaijanis bought the latest helicopters, armored personnel carriers, anti-tank equipment from Russia, and unmanned aerial vehicles from Turkey and Israel. Their army has been trained by the best Turkish, Israeli and American military specialists”.

Later, he noted Armenian people acted like a fool: “We were living with euphoria of the previous war. As if there is a war again, Azerbaijanis will be destroyed and will flee for this time too. We laughed that as if Azerbaijanis are not able to fight, let them attempt, we will expel them until Baku this time. It is a result of our laugh.”

Although confrontation in the line of contact in Karabakh lasted for 26 years, the so-called “duel” of shooting, snipers were often observed, it seems that Armenians were not ready for a large-scale attack. They experienced the certainty of being able to cope with the enemy easily. But return of Karabakh became a national issue. I have been a visual witness of it, when I was in Baku. Azerbaijanis wanted to restart of war and demonstrated their moral readiness for sacrificing even from their child ages. But Armenians mocked although the Azerbaijani side bought modern expensive weapons during these years and thought that Azerbaijanis are coward, they will not dare to wage a war again.

I talk with Levon Melkonyan in a café in the center of Yerevan. He went to fight in Karabakh voluntarily at beginning of October of the previous year. As Levon does not know Russian, our conversation is in English and Arabic. Because, he was born in a settlement of Lebanon capital Beirut, where Armenians live. “Azerbaijanis were dominating in the air in the first days of the war. – he reminds, - tank and armored vehicles did not help: they were shooting and firing them using unmanned aerial vehicles. Shelter and buildings of commanders, where they gathered for consultation, were destroyed by missiles. It was impossible to carry combat equipment. UAVs were hunting trucks, carrying combat equipment. I stayed in a collecting station on the order for a month, they did not send us anywhere. Departed cars could be subjected to air attack.”

I heard such similar thoughts from many fighters in Yerevan: Although Armenia gathered tens of thousands of soldiers, did not know what is necessary to do with them. Because it missed the necessary opportunity to send soldiers to the front. Furthermore, there is no discipline in the combat zone. The volunteer, with whom I talked at the beginning of the article, does not hide: he was sitting and drinking cognac in the front. It is clear to stay without alcohol in the war is difficult, but soldier Arain Khachikyan confesses: “It was terrible. I started drinking from the early hours. Because my nerves were not able to hear explosion sounds, caused by UAVs. Even it is said that an Armenian high-ranking politician called generals and ordered to attack at any cost, commanders were just spitting out orders of leadership. They were acting as they know.”

Flowers are sold in every corner of Yerevan: “A red rose, carnation prices have risen – seller Gayane says slowly. – Certainly, we buried tens of children every day in October-November... then funeral... It is necessary to put flowers on the grave... They bury until today too, find dead soldiers... A thousand five hundred soldiers got missed... I don't understand an issue, why they did not use “Iskander” missiles?

Former captain of Armenian army Suren Ter-Gukasyan explains: “It was necessary to demonstrate determination and strike blows to the oil industry of Azerbaijan with “Iskander” missiles. But none dared to issue such an order. All were throwing the problem on each other, it is not known why they were certain.”