Colonel Sahak Sahakyan Should Comment on the Above Topics Exclusively from a Military Professional Perspective, Abrahamyan

The Chief of Staff official persuaded journalists in a conversation that under the current Minister of Defense's efforts, conscripts entering the army will first serve for 5 months in training rifle battalions, after which they can only be assigned to combat duty units. This was reported by MP and analyst Tigran Abrahamyan on his Facebook page.

“One of the journalists reacted that this system has been in place before, but the Chief of Staff official insisted that this is new. Now, will they convince me that I have not visited the same training battalions for years and have not observed for 5 months what everyone is doing, but that it has just been a dream? Thousands of people have been drafted into the army according to the scheme described by the Chief of Staff official, spending the first 5 months in training battalions and only then filling combat duty rifle battalions. Exceptions have been made for certain units and strictly limited personnel. However, I repeat, this is not a novelty in the army.

The same official insists that no drafts are going from Armenia to Artsakh because of a political decision to staff the Defense Army exclusively with contract personnel. First of all, the Defense Army is also being supplemented by compulsory conscripts from Artsakh. Secondly, while they are trying to fill the Defense Army as much as possible with contract personnel, it is because of the Armenian authorities' political decision that no drafts are going from Armenia to Artsakh.

I do not wish to elaborate on the other statements of the Chief of Staff official in detail purely for security reasons, although there is much to say; however, I advise Colonel Sahak Sahakyan to comment on the above topics exclusively from a military professional perspective,” Abrahamyan wrote.