.In regard to the May 31 disinformation and threats of the Azerbaijani propaganda machine and other issues of public interest, ARTSAKHPRESS had an interview with Colonel Senor Hasratyan, head of the information and PR department of the Artsakhi Defense Army.
ARTSAKHPRESS – Mr. Hasratyan, yesterday on May 31 the Azerbaijani side released a statement on Artsakhi ceasefire violations and at the same time on shelling their settlements. Is there any accuracy in this information?
Colonel Hasratyan – I’ve already had the occasion to answer this question and I have completely denied Azerbaijan’s agitprop’s May 31 and other disinformation. This is mainly in regard to the statements related to the made up and circulated ‘accusation’ and imaginable success of the Azerbaijani defense ministry’s press service, where the Azerbaijani side in one case attributes the ungrounded accusations of shelling their settlements to the Armenian forces, and in another case thunderously state that they have “destroyed one firing positions of the adversary” on the same and “caught a surveillance device by special measures.”
Regarding the ‘destruction’ or ‘catching’ of the firing position and the surveillance device, let me say that this information is nothing but a typical example of Azerbaijani primitive propaganda.
Regarding the shelling of peaceful settlements, I have to say that this kind of a tactics doesn’t have anything to do with the Armenian side neither in today’s “neither peace nor war” conditions, but even during the most heated and violent combat operations, something I can’t say about Azerbaijan. Moreover, in order for you to clearly understand the baseless and misleading essence of the Baku military agitprop’s provocative statements, let me notify that on April 30 and overnight April 31 no single ceasefire violation with the use of mortar weapons were recorded from the conflicting forces.
ARTSAKHPRESS – In addition to the accusation, the Azerbaijani side said in its statement that “in case of continuation of such provocations of the Armenian side” their artillery will open fire on Armenian settlements deeper from the frontline. What will you say in this regard?
Colonel Hasratyan – Making this kind of loud statements after false accusations is the typical style of the Azerbaijani agitprop. The number one task of our army is ensuring the complete security of our people, and we are ready for this at any moment in any event, especially that the Armenian Army has not only professional soldiers, but also opportunities surpassing the adversary’s armaments and strategictechnical characteristics. The Azerbaijani agitprop must at least understand one thing very clearly –making loud statements all the time in the information arena doesn’t mean succeeding in the real battlefield. The experience of wars, including our war experience, shows this.
ARTSAKHPRESS – And in the end, taking this opportunity, one more question. What is the reason of changing the frequency of daily statements regarding the tactical situation on the frontline?
Colonel Hasratyan – Lately, the media is quite often asking this question to the Army’s Command, and specifically to the press service. Let me try to present my view briefly in this regard. All of us, and especially reporters covering the Army, must realize one thing very clearly, that those decisions which are being made in our Armed Forces, are deeply thought through, and they stem from not the necessity of satisfying public interest, but are exclusively related to solving strictly important issues of strategic essence. This is one of the important peculiarities of the military, which each of us must realize and respect.