Onik Gasparyan Provides Details on the Course of the War

Dear compatriots, fellow soldiers. The war unleashed by Azerbaijan, its ally Turkey, and involved mercenary-terrorists from September 27, 2020, was faced honorably by the Armenian armed forces, who did everything possible and impossible from the very first moments of the conflict. The Armenian soldier fought selflessly, engaging in life-and-death battles.

Some figures have made accusations that the military leadership presented unrealistic analyses of the nature of the enemy's actions and the capabilities of its armed forces to the country's leadership. This does not correspond to reality.

I was appointed as the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces on June 8 of this year, and already on June 12, I presented an analysis of the military-political situation in the region to the Prime Minister of Armenia, and a few days later to the Security Council as well.

Based on the conducted analysis, I made recommendations to enhance the level of the country's military security. In particular, I noted that:
1. Our adversary is no longer just Azerbaijan, but also Turkey. Therefore, Armenia cannot effectively counter the combined military potential of these states, and it is necessary to direct all political and diplomatic potential to avoiding war or at least delaying it.
2. This proposal was accepted by the Security Council and the Prime Minister; however, a question was raised: “What should we do if we cannot avoid war?” I replied that in a war forced upon us, we should try to inflict significant losses on the enemy in the shortest possible time and make them abandon further actions. I mentioned that we should avoid a prolonged war, considering our available resources. Numerous proposals were discussed and approved, the implementation of which would significantly enhance our combat potential; these included acquisitions of weapons and military equipment, as well as comprehensive provision for military operations.
3. At that time, the issue of forming volunteer units with a composition of hundreds of thousands was also raised.

Nevertheless, we could not avoid war, and on September 27, the enemy launched a large-scale offensive with forces many times greater along the entire front of Artsakh. The Defense Army successfully repelled all its assaults, inflicting significant losses and destroying large numbers of personnel and military equipment. Unfortunately, our forces also suffered heavy losses.

On the fourth day of the war, during a meeting of the Security Council, I presented our losses and the assessment of the armed forces concerning the created situation, noting that measures should be taken within two to three days to stop the war. Otherwise, under the conditions of the intensity of ongoing military operations, our resources would be exhausted in a short period, and we would face increasingly unfavorable conditions for negotiations with each passing day. I have made similar assessments many times during my round-the-clock work with the Prime Minister and in Security Council meetings.

All attempts and proposals to stop the war at a certain stage were rejected by Turkey and Azerbaijan, and we were forced to continue military operations, trying to inflict heavy losses on the enemy and make them sit at the negotiating table. For all of us, the agreement reached under very tough conditions was indeed the result of a multifaceted assessment of the situation. We had to choose between something very bad and a catastrophe. We chose the lesser evil.
That day was the worst day of my life; it was a personal tragedy for me... But the awareness that, as a result of that decision, we managed to preserve most of Artsakh and the main military potential of the Defense Army, says that we have no right to be discouraged; we must unite, recover quickly, and prepare to continue the struggle.

As the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces and immediate commander, I bear responsibility for all the successes and failures of the armed forces. I bow my head in remembrance of all the martyrs and in front of their families. We were forced into a very ruthless war, and in an unequal struggle, the Armenian soldier and commander showed determination and moral qualities to fight until the end. This was a true battle of heroes and a struggle for existence… The Armenian nation can be proud of its soldier, officer, and general.

Fellow comrades,
We should not despair; we must continue to defend the borders of our homeland, seriously analyze and draw conclusions, and rebuild the Armenian army to enhance its combat readiness. Thank you for your selfless service. With high awareness and responsibility, let us steadfastly carry out the combat tasks set before us, and with our unity and indomitable will, let us be worthy of the devotion of our comrades and the sanctified martyrs.

Chief of the General Staff of the RA Armed Forces
General- Lieutenant O. Gasparyan