Russia Attempts to Restore Armenia-Azerbaijan Military Balance by Publishing the List of Supplied Weaponry: Yevseev

“Russia exercises its allied liabilities before Armenia,” Vladimir Yevseev, Lieutenant Colonel, Head of Caucasus Department of the CIS Institute, Director of the Center for Public Policy Research, told 168.am touching upon recent publications by Russia on the list of weaponry provided to Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Note, “Kommersant” (Moscow) reported yesterday, that due to fall in oil price in international market, Azerbaijan isn’t able to pay for the weaponry and equipment purchased from Russia, around which Dmitri Rogozin, Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister, paid a visit to Azerbaijan to negotiate with Ilham Aliyev. According to “Kommersant” main issues between Azerbaijan and Russia refer exercising of accords signed years ago. “The major issue is the following: Azerbaijan is short of money,” the paper reports.

Interesting enough, earlier Russian Interfax Agency released a statement, in which types of weaponry, which Armenia may purchase by USD 200 million loan allocated by Russia, have been enumerated. According to the statement Armenia purchases from Russia multiple rocket launcher “Smerch” and weaponry for it, “Igla-S” missiles, “Avtobaza-M” radio intelligence complexes, TOS systems, 9M113M missiles, RPG-26 grenade launchers, “Tiger” armored vehicles, communication and engineering means.

Yevseev once again stressed his disposition in these deals, saying by selling weaponry to Azerbaijan, it doesn’t violate its allied liabilities, moreover, it makes Armenia’s opponent more predictable. Russian analyst expressed doubt, that maybe there is no need to seek for a direct connection between these two developments. As for the issue that Baku has no means of paying for the supplied Russian weaponry, in his opinion, they should understand in Armenia, the less Azerbaijan purchases weaponry and equipment, the better Armenia’s state of affairs will be regarding NKR conflict.

“Russia is ready to implement its allied liabilities before Armenia, what it currently does, and if Azerbaijan reduces purchase of military equipment against this background, then for us the issue of restoring balance in NKR conflict becomes much easier. As a military expert, I highlight military balance especially in case of equipment like TOS-1 “Solntsepyok” and “Uragan” complexes. These are complexes, in which balance is needed,” Yevseev mentioned.

To our claim, for which purpose secret military information has been circulated, threatening Russia’s military ally’s security, Yevseev replied that the systems, mentioned by him, there is also powerful weaponry and equipment in the published list.

“This means, Armenia will obtain the weaponry, which will solve Armenia’s security and other issues in NKR conflict, however, on the other hand, Russia attempts to restore balance of powers from the perspective of that weaponry, means that this balance will be soon restored,” Yevseev noticed.

By Araks Martirosyan