Why No Order to Fire Was Given on the Night of April 2: Serj Sargsyan Explains

During a press conference today, third President Serj Sargsyan addressed the video circulating on the internet after the April 2016 war, which shows enemy forces approaching the borders of Artsakh. According to the footage, Armenian soldiers were continuously communicating that the adversary was getting closer and were requesting permission to open fire, but the response was to wait.

Sargsyan emphasized that the decision to fire or not at the front line is made by the commander of a specific unit, not by the supreme commander. He argued that there is nothing unusual about the commander giving the order to refrain from firing and to wait until the enemy approaches a specific engagement point.

Sargsyan asserted that it was precisely due to the commander’s patience and focus that the enemy suffered positional losses in that area.