The status of Russian border guards will be clarified

DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)

The status of the border troops in Armenia will be revised. This sensational confession was made by new Armenian Defense Minister David Tonoyan, who headed the country's military department in May this year, after the resignation of President Serzh Sargsyan and the change of the country's top leadership.

Without specifying what amendments are needed to the Treaty on the Status of the Border Troops of the Russian Federation in Armenia, signed in January 1992, Minister Tonoyan explained that "a speedy implementation of certain changes" may be due to a recent incident involving Russian servicemen in the Armenian village of Panik, Shirak region.

It should be reminded that last Tuesday the Russian military carrying out exercises with the 102nd military base deployed in the republic passed through the streets of Panik village and fired blank cartridges there, which caused discontent among the local population.

"I consider that the incident is a provocation in relation to the Armenian-Russian relations, as well as a provocation against the sovereignty of Armenia." The perpetrators should be punished," Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said commenting the incident in the Panik village.

In his turn, the commander of the 102nd Russian military base, Colonel Vladimir Yelkanov, who after the incident held a closed meeting with Defense Minister David Tonoyan, outlined his version of the events as follows: "The units of the 102nd Russian military base carried out planned measures for combat training, the details of which according to the annual plan are agreed with the Ministry of Defense. The roads, the movement of equipment – everything is planned and agreed on. This exercise was carried out by the intelligence divisions, but since they are reconnaissance officers, they will under no circumstances name the place of their exercises, so the conversation was tense. The place was chosen incorrectly".

The statement of Armenian Defense Minister David Tonoyan regarding the revision of the status of the Russian border troops in Armenia became the most harsh statement against the Russian military in the republic.

[Translated from Russian]