Video: We Haven't Had an Army Since the Marshal, Says Mikaelyan

Yes, we haven’t had an army since the Marshal. This was stated today, January 28, during a conversation with journalists at the "Yerablur" military pantheon by the president of the Union of Armenian Volunteers, Sasun Mikaelyan.

“Did you not realize what happened, what the previous authorities did? I am not saying that Pashinyan is a saint; I am not a saint either, but after the shortcomings that existed, you cannot have an army in three years. If the Azerbaijanis were acquiring modern military technology for 15-20 years, we were saying we had fighting spirit. If our previous authorities said that no issue can be resolved through negotiations, we should have been preparing for war; we should have been arming ourselves during those years. During the Marshal’s time, our army was the most combat-ready in the South Caucasus,” he said.

Sasun Mikaelyan stated that the enemy was able to capture territories because the army had gone in a different direction over the years. “Additionally, we gave away as many strategically important objects as we had to the Russians in exchange for ‘debt collateral.’ Gradually, we weakened ourselves. The previous authorities signed agreements with Russia regarding arms and ammunition, stating that we have no right to purchase weapons from any other countries without Russia's permission,” he noted.