YEREVAN. – Hraparak daily of the Republic of Armenia (RA) writes: Recent events have prompted the people of Artsakh [(Nagorno-Karabakh)] to take self-defense measures. For several weeks now, men of Artsakh have been forming detachments and taking turns monitoring the borders. Artsakh [opposition] MP Metakse Hakobyan confirmed this information:
"Yes, they have been created. And do you know why? Why there was no such thing for 30 years? Why there wasn’t in [20]16? Because at that time each and every Artsakh citizen knew that there were the RA authorities which are the guarantors of Artsakh's security. But now the people of Artsakh realize that they are the guarantor of their security—of course, with our friends, the Russian peacekeepers… We want peace more than anyone. But realizing that [Armenia’s PM] Nikol Pashinyan and his authorities have only brought war and destruction, we are ready to go against their agenda—to defend, to defend ourselves."