VIDEO: Su-30SM Fighters Acquired Without Ammunition, Says Pashinyan

Armenia has purchased Su-30SM fighters from Russia without missiles. This was announced by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan during a meeting with residents of the Ohanyan community in the Aragatsotn region on March 20. The Prime Minister shared the video of the meeting on his Facebook page.

“We are being asked why we purchased the airplanes. Yes, we have acquired airplanes, and yes, we did not manage to obtain missiles before the war. Well, why didn't you acquire the airplanes so that we could procure the missiles? Why has the state not had fighter aviation for 26 years?” Pashinyan stated during the meeting with local residents.

On November 19, 2020, Moises Hakobyan announced that Armenia had acquired Su-30SM, ZSU 23-2, and Osa-AKM systems, but none of them had fired. He mentioned that the Su-30s were acquired without munitions.

On the same day, the Ministry of Defense of Armenia refuted Moises Hakobyan’s statements, asserting that they not only do not correspond to reality but also contain state secrets. “It is also a blatant lie that the Su-30SMs do not have missiles. These aircraft represent weaponry that was supposed to be transformed into capability. This process was carried out before the war and finalized during the days of the war,” read the statement from the Ministry of Defense.

The Prime Minister's spokesperson, Mane Gevorgyan, mentioned that the law enforcement bodies should address the statements made by Moises Hakobyan.