Armenian military expert Tigran Abrahamyan, the head of the analytical center Henaket, reacted to caretaker Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's latest statement, stating it pointed to how he “destroyed” the Armenian statehood.
“Over the past three decades, the Armenian troops have been deployed in almost all areas of the Artsakh-Armenian border, where it was possible to ensure control over the enemy [Azerbaijan], its military, civil infrastructure and movements in the rear,” he wrote on Facebook on Saturday.
“Since 1994, there have been constant positional fights with Azerbaijan for taking important heights and obtaining a tactical and strategic advantage,” he said, adding the key purpose was to carry out an effective process of deterring Azerbaijan and, if necessary, taking punitive action.
“In carrying out this hard and extremely responsible task, our armed forces have passed a difficult path, literally setting up fortifications in rocks, mountains, sometimes even in mountains higher than 3,000 meters.
“Nikol Pashinyan's statement, "Why do we need to deploy soldiers on the top of the mountain, which is snow-covered for half a year?" not only points to the fact that he does not have a basic idea of the land, homeland and the mission of the military, but also reveals what principles he was guided by in the recent 3 years and how he destroyed our statehood.
“In the conditions of the rule of a leader with such a mentality and system of values, we could not have had a chance to win [the war with Azerbaijan]. Naturally, in the conditions of the border crisis unfolding today, the current authorities are leading the country to a guaranteed destruction.
“People who know me are aware that there was no combat position in the Artsakh area, there was no military unit from Araks to Mount Gomshasar (Gamish), where, due to the nature of my service, I did not visit and did not carry out activities,” the expert said, praising the dedication and responsibility of Armenian soldiers carrying out military service in the most difficult sections of the frontline.
“Those who do not realize it all and the forces behind them, as well as those deliberately pursuing such a policy, have brought the country to this tragic point and continue to justify their steps,” Abrahamyan noted.
He also shared a photo of servicemen on top of Gomshasar (3,724 meters) located in the northern part of the Republic of Artsakh.
“On one of its peaks, strong defensive structures and a military post were set up, and Artsakh forces gained a huge advantage over the enemy. Many know in what difficult and adverse weather conditions our forces were deployed there and perfectly performed their combat mission,” he added.