Commanders Failed to Take Measures to Prevent Adversary's Advance into Armenia's Sovereign Territory

The battalion commanders surrendered to the psychological pressure of the adversary in 2021 and left the occupied positions without resistance and without authorization from their superiors, thus falling into encirclement with the commander of the military unit. As a result, the adversary invaded the sovereign territory of Armenia without resistance and took control of several combat positions. This was stated in a message released by the Prosecutor General's Office of Armenia.

“V.G., holding the position of the commander of Armenia’s Defense Ministry No. N military corps, allowed the commander of the military unit A.M. to attend the scheduled negotiations with the adversary on November 14, 2021, at 08:30. He then received a report from A.M. indicating that the adversary was awaiting a specific response regarding the opening of the road, after which he issued an order diverting the personnel from their combat duty obligations.

Instead of timely issuing a command to cease the negotiations and prevent the adversary's advance through combat, A.M. rushed to the occupied positions held by the collective battalion’s servicemen and contented himself with the order issued by his deputy G.I., which instructed the servicemen to take a 'Combat Position', open precautionary fire, and prevent the adversary's advance into the territory of Armenia. As a result, along with his personnel, he found himself in encirclement.

Instead of acting under G.I.’s command, the gathered battalion commanders M.P. and A.T. succumbed to the psychological pressure from the adversary and, without resistance and authorization from their superiors, left the occupied positions, thereby falling into encirclement along with the commander of the military unit. Consequently, the adversary invaded the sovereign territory of Armenia without resistance and took control of several combat positions,” the statement noted. On October 6, 2023, the prosecutor decided to modify the public criminal prosecution against V.G., A.M., M.P., and A.T., initiating a new public prosecution under the third part of Article 365 of the Criminal Code, adopted on April 18, 2003, concerning violations of the rules of combat duty or combat service.