What New Threat Has Emerged That Prompted the Russian Side to Quickly Deploy Troops in Tavush? Abrahamyan

According to Tigran Abrahamyan, the head of the 'HENAKET' analytical center, he wrote on his Facebook page: 'The Minister of Defense of Armenia has had the opportunity to mention 2-3 times that there is an agreement with the Russian side regarding the deployment of a Russian border guard unit on the Goris-Kapan highway in the Syunik region. Indeed, there is a need for this. However, neither the defense minister nor any government official clarifies on what agreements and for what purposes Russian servicemen were deployed to Tavush just a few days ago.'

'Ultimately, what new threat or challenge has arisen that prompted the Russian side to rapidly deploy troops in Tavush? By the way, it remains unclear what kind of service Russian servicemen will perform, and whether their presence is of a short-term or long-term nature. The question is not that the presence of Russian troops raises any issues; rather, there is concern that the government is once again engaged in secret deals, and it is still unclear what price the citizens of Armenia will pay this time.'

'The bilateral and multilateral agreements between Armenia and Russia allow the two countries to develop military cooperation at the deepest levels, but the public must be informed about this from official sources, rather than hearing about Russian servicemen through inquiries in various places in Tavush. The Armenian Ministry of Defense and various official channels enjoy organizing 'denial parades', yet the fact of Russian troops' presence in Tavush has been circulating for several days, with even photos available online showing deployment sites, but the government continues to remain silent or conceal this.'