Former Chief of General Staff Makes Extremely Dangerous Statements, Ministry of Defense

The Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia has issued a statement: “The former head of the Ministry of Defense's Material Technical Support Department and former Chief of the General Staff, General-Major Movses Hakobyan, made several statements at a press conference today that not only do not correspond to reality but also contain state secrets. These statements relate to themes regarding Armenia's international military cooperation in the field of defense, and their publicity only threatens our country's defense capabilities.

Movses Hakobyan, who held the position of head of the Ministry of Defense's Material Technical Support Department for only a short period, around six months, and during that time signed arms acquisition contracts stemming from agreements made by the leaders of Armenia and other countries, is attempting to create the impression that it is only during his tenure that the Ministry of Defense acquired such weapons and munitions which have been effectively used against the enemy during this war. This claim is, to put it mildly, far from the truth. Even if some of the contracts for these weapons bear Movses Hakobyan's signature, it is abundantly clear that negotiations for the acquisition of the weapons in question began much earlier, and it is at least disingenuous to attribute the entire process solely to himself.

Furthermore, several of the weapons mentioned by the general-major are acquired on a recurring basis, not as a result of a one-off deal. The former Chief of General Staff is making extremely dangerous statements that disclose the structure of the armed forces and the specifics of military units. These are strictly confidential information, the disclosure of which is criminally punishable.

In particular, according to Article 23 of the Republic of Armenia Law on State and Official Secrets, the rights of citizens with access to confidential information may be restricted in relation to its dissemination until the release of information provided for by law. In other words, even if Movses Hakobyan is no longer a Ministry of Defense official, this does not mean that he can disclose state secrets.

Movses Hakobyan criticizes the acquisition of state-of-the-art SU-30SM fighter jets and other military assets by the Republic of Armenia, deeming it ineffective. When making such claims, it is essential to always remember the simple fact that the armed forces of the Republic of Armenia, apart from guaranteeing the security of Artsakh, are also obliged to protect the security of the Republic of Armenia itself, including against possible adversaries that possess numerous state-of-the-art combat aircraft. The acquisition of SU-30SMs must be viewed within that context. As for the claim of whether these aircraft have been used, Mr. Hakobyan had the opportunity to clarify this with the Minister of Defense and the Chief of the General Staff, which for unclear reasons he did not do before making his statements at the press conference.

It is also an outright falsehood that the SU-30SMs do not possess missiles. These aircraft are weapons that should be transformed into capability. This process was carried out before the war and was finalized during the war.

The former Chief of the Ministry of Defense's Material Technical Support has alleged that the 'OSA' air defense systems acquired by the Armenian side were not used and that this purchase has been useless, whereas had 'TOR' systems been acquired instead, the fight against enemy drones would have been significantly more effective. This assertion is also far from reality. First, some of the air defense assets available to the Armenian side, including 'TOR's and 'OSA's, were shot down by enemy drones, regardless of their type and year of production. The issue is that the well-known UAVs used against us were developed very recently, and fully effective countermeasures against them are still in the development phase.

Nevertheless, it is not true that the 'OSA's have "not fired." Based on established figures, 'OSA's have shot down 62 enemy UAVs. Incidentally, Movses Hakobyan should remember that during the July clashes, the Israeli manufactured Hermes-900 drone was also shot down by an 'OSA'.

On the other hand, it is unacceptable to base perceptions about the air defense system of the Armenian army solely on a focus on 'OSA's. The Armenian army possesses several air defense assets that are continuously being increased and updated.

Movses Hakobyan also makes another assertion that has absolutely no connection to reality, claiming that the replenishment of troops was halted on the third day of the war. This is an absolute lie that does not honor a military figure with a significant combat and military history. Thousands of citizens will confirm that they properly received summonses for conscription, presented themselves to territorial units, underwent short preparatory courses in various training units, and were sent to the frontline.

Moreover, alongside the proper replenishment of troops, whole new units consisting of reservists have also been formed. Numerous reports on all these processes have been prepared by various media outlets and periodically shown on television.

Movses Hakobyan's remarks about the information provided by the defense department during the war being '100 percent false' are absolutely unacceptable. During the entire war, we remind you, Movses Hakobyan held a senior position in the Ministry of Defense and could have voiced his grievances and suggestions on this topic even ex officio, which he did not do. Nevertheless, we are confident that the defense department did everything possible regarding the provision of information that would not harm the course of military operations.

Regarding the discovery of coronavirus in Movses Hakobyan during military operations, there are documents attesting to this, and his attempts to deny these evident facts are perplexing.

And finally, we sadly note that General-Major Hakobyan also made statements during the press conference concerning our country’s international military cooperation on topics whose publicity is inadmissible. We are more than convinced that Movses Hakobyan is aware of this simple truth. Nevertheless, the fact that a former high-ranking military officer is now outside the system does not in any way grant him the right to create problems for a system that works 24/7, alongside trying to step away from accountability.

The Ministry of Defense is acutely aware that there have been a number of mistakes and shortcomings in the actions of the Armenian side during the war unleashed against Artsakh, which are currently being analyzed in detail. These are mistakes and shortcomings, some of which are of a conceptual nature and for which former Chief of General Staff Movses Hakobyan bears equal responsibility for at least the period of his tenure. Nevertheless, we are confident that figures who have served in the defense system of the country for many years and held crucial positions should not, under the influence of the moment or other interests, issue naked and distorted accusations against an institution that continues to carry out the vital mission of ensuring the country's security.