Iskander Scandal: Did They Misreport to the Prime Minister? Was Tiran Khachatryan Correct, But Removed from Office? Will He Be Reinstated?

Auroranews inquired with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s spokesperson, Mane Gevorgyan, about the removal of the Deputy Chief of the General Staff, Tiran Khachatryan, following a controversial interview regarding the Iskander missile system. In that interview, Khachatryan’s statements contradicted the Prime Minister’s remarks that the Iskander had exploded at only 10 percent capacity, or had not exploded at all.

Days after Khachatryan’s dismissal, it was announced that the Prime Minister had been misinformed regarding the Iskander issue. This raises the question: Was Tiran Khachatryan indeed correct, and will he be reinstated to his position?

The Prime Minister’s spokesperson requested that this question be submitted in writing. It should be noted that responses to written inquiries are typically provided within five working days unless the responding agency requests additional time.

It is worth recalling that concerning Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's statements about the Iskander missile system, Yerevan.Today had approached Tiran Khachatryan for comments. According to the publication, Khachatryan initially laughed for an extended period before responding. He stated, “Of course, it’s impossible... How, Iskanders...? One shot... with 10 percent...? Excuse me, this is not serious (laughs), such things cannot be said or concluded. One cannot simply ask questions about this weapon system over the phone and make superficial evaluations, that’s not serious! I don’t know what anyone has said, but that’s impossible (laughs again). I would simply request not to elaborate on the topic and not to form incorrect impressions about this weapon system.”