The ARF organized a conference on “The military-political tactics of the adversary and our strategic plans” dedicated to the 26th anniversary of the Artsakh Republic proclamation. During the conference, Colonel Viktor Arustamyan, the Head of Operations Department of the Artsakh Republic Defence Army, presented the situation at the border.
Political scientist Stepan Grigoryan asked, whether our actions depend on Azerbaijan’s decision, whether they want a peaceful solution or a military action. Mr. Arustamyan answered, that during the April war, they took an action, and received the response. Anyway, we should be ready for a military solution.
Arustamyan reminded how the Armenian side detected and eliminated subversive intelligence groups in March. This was an unprecedented case in the history that 5 members of an intelligence group remained in neutral zone.
In response to the question, whether our response is proportionate to the opponent’s actions, whether we respond accordingly, since every day we are being informed that the opponent has opened fire on the border, Viktor Arustamyan said, “We respond them with fire and we are not limited to the use of proportional weapon anymore. If the fire is from 60 mm mortar, the response fire is 120 mm mortar, the answer is more severe”.
Nikol Pashinyan, head of the “Yelq” faction, asked, after all, what the goal of Azerbaijan was in the April war, there are different opinions about this, some experts say that this was the purpose of intelligence, other believe that it was a capitulation program to capture Stepanakert. Whether Azerbaijan tested its strength with that and now it’s preparing for more serious actions.
Arustamyan answered, “I do not agree with the idea that it was for an intelligence. Gradual involvement of central subordinate units in the actions indicates about the creation of a large-scale military contingent, the use of special-purpose subdivisions, their subdivisions were not ready for further actions… They took a completely military way of resolving the problem”.
Pashinyan also asked, how come our actions were not adequate at the time of the attack, there was an effect of unexpectedness which is being talked about in social networks. He asked whether Mr Arustamyan could exclude the possibility of this happening again. The deputy also asked whether the Armenian-Azerbaijani military balance is violated or we can say that there is a military balance.
The Colonel replied, “Our focus is on counteracting the regular aggravations of the situation on the frontline, the constant invasions of intelligence groups. We were unable without better reconnaissance means. For example, two tanks were moved towards the frontline, the following night we could here that tanks were withdrawing, they were able to mislead us through the continuous movement of armored vehicles. Only after discovering the use of armored vehicles, we took actions. We have enough reconnaissance resources, a monitoring system is fully established, and the command post can view the situation in the frontline in the online mode, it’s under control”.
About the military balance Arustamyan said, that since 1994, their military equipment, military power has surpassed ours, but believing that we are defeated in the war because of this is unaccepted, because there are also other factors in military operations, as a result of which military actions may have another outcome, it is the readiness of the troops and many other issues.
Hripsime JEBEJYAN
