Anna Hakobyan Attends Seven-Day Firearm Training Course for Women from Artsakh

Under the initiative and participation of Anna Hakobyan, the wife of the Prime Minister of Armenia and the chair of the board of trustees of the "My Step" and "City of Smile" charitable foundations, a gathering was held from August 25 to 31 at a military unit in Artsakh. The event involved 15 women of various ages and professions residing in Artsakh, aiming to familiarize them with military life and acquire military skills.

During the seven days, the participants fully immersed themselves in military life, wearing uniforms as required and sleeping in the military unit. Throughout the gathering, the participants underwent more than 20 sessions, including professional training, drill, firearm, physical training, tactical fundamentals, and first aid, conducted by the officers of the Artsakh Defense Army, covering topics such as the significance of shooting, field regulations, soldier movement on the battlefield, trench positioning, and ammunition transfer under enemy fire.

As part of the firearm training classes, the participants acquainted themselves with the major parts and mechanisms of the Kalashnikov automatic rifle, optical sights, and night vision devices, understanding their roles and significance. They practiced procedures including firing from automatic rifles and machine guns, as well as grenade throwing from various positions in open fields.

In the first aid training, the participants learned about the disruption of vital organs' functions, the importance of bandaging materials, and various methods of applying a tourniquet on the thigh.

On the final day, the participants completed a firearm proficiency test, where they were required to hit all established targets within 15 seconds for each. As a result of the evaluation, the group achieved a score of "four," with five individuals receiving "excellent" ratings, while others received "satisfactory" grades. According to evaluations from Artsakh Defense Army officer Lieutenant Colonel Vrej Avanesyan, Major Matsak Khachatryan, and Senior Officer Major Karen Sarukhanyan, the participants demonstrated great responsibility and preparedness, showcasing results comparable to several months of military training.

During the gathering, the participants visited the Artsakh Defense Army frontline and memorial sites dedicated to fallen and missing combatants, toured historical and geological museums, and met with Artsakh President Arayik Harutyunyan. One of the key topics discussed with the women from Artsakh was the connection between the value of peace and the necessity of self-defense. A suggestion was made for women to also undergo combat and firearm training, to which Anna Hakobyan promised to organize a similar event in the near future.

The seven-day course on combat and firearm training for women took place as part of the "Women for Peace" campaign. As the Prime Minister's wife has repeatedly emphasized, in the face of military aggression against our country, not only our army but also our entire society—whether military or civilian, male or female—will stand in defense.

“Like me, many women, I am confident, are ready to take up arms to defend their homeland and their children. But this is not for the sake of war, but to prove that peace has no alternative,” said Anna Hakobyan.