Arzrun Hovhannisyan Discusses How the Ministry of Defense Procured Su-30 Fighters

We did not say that the Su-30 fighters were entirely purchased with credit funds, but I cannot say how many of the four Su-30 fighters bought from Russia were acquired with cash. This was stated by the spokesman for the Minister of Defense, Arzrun Hovhannisyan, in an interview with Tert.am, responding to a publication by the "Zhamanak" newspaper, which claimed that payment for two of the Su-30 military aircraft was made in cash, and that these funds originated from voluntary mandatory payments made by oligarchs to the Ministry of Defense.

Arzrun Hovhannisyan noted that cash had also been paid for the fighters as part of the overall program.

“The Republic of Armenia paid for them. The Ministry of Defense presents a program, negotiations are held, substantiated, and the funds are allocated by the Ministry of Finance,” he emphasized.

Responding to the question of whether these funds were sourced from the payments of oligarchs, Hovhannisyan stated that it does not matter where the funds came from; they are considered the resources of the Republic of Armenia.