All Answers Are Hidden in Shushi: Movses Hakobyan

“Why was the Armenian army unprepared for the wars, what were our omissions, how did Shushi fall? These unanswered questions were posed to General-Major Movses Hakobyan, former head of the Military Supervision Service of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia, former Minister of Defense of Artsakh, and former Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Armenia.

“Of course, I have conducted an analysis and reached clear conclusions about the reasons for the outcomes of this war. However, to make it more comprehensive, it is necessary for the Ministry of Defense to create a special commission to thoroughly analyze all actions from the first day of the war, which at first glance may not seem noteworthy, but are based on significant obstacles. Only after revealing these can the real reasons for our defeat become obvious.”

“How did the enemy manage to seize the fortress city of Shushi? Also considering the fact that it is still not clear who led the defense of the city?”

“From the very first day of the war, the adversary's goal was to reach Shushi. How they achieved that, with what means, time and the army’s analysis will provide the answer. I am of the opinion that all the answers, so to speak, the ‘Pandora's box’ is hidden in Shushi.”

“You know that after the end of the war, there are many opinions that this war was sold, and the Armenian soldier was betrayed. What is your observation on this?”

“I do not share that opinion. We simply were poorly prepared and fought poorly.”

“So, was the outcome predetermined from the very beginning?”

“Of course not. I, at least, do not believe that.”

“Then why did we have such an outcome?”

“Our problem lay in governance, not elsewhere. Because the fighting spirit of the soldiers was incredibly high even in the hottest moments of combat. The soldier did the impossible; any military personnel can attest to that.”

“Was it possible to stop the war earlier?”

“You know, our first issue was the weak air defense.”

“Many try to draw comparisons between the April War and this war. Are they comparable?”

“No, they are incomparable. You asked a very correct question, thank you. This issue is often discussed; I won’t go into details, but these two wars are not comparable.”

“What are, in your view, our military priorities today?”

“There are many priorities, you can't even imagine how many. But the first and foremost issue is to reorganize and create an army that aligns with today's fifth-generation warfare.”

“Are we ready with existing resources for potential challenges?”

“I understand the essence of your question, but I will respond like this: the security of the country is ensured through both military and diplomatic means. Therefore, only through effective work on both sides can we face the challenges. And the fact that there are diverse challenges is unfortunately an undeniable fact.”