The Armenian authorities have taken no measures to enhance the army's combat efficiency this year, second Armenian President and opposition Hayastan bloc leader Robert Kocharyan told a year-end news conference on Monday.
He recalled that the Armenian military suffered dozens of casualties in 2021.
"During this year, we have had 36 casualties. This figure may vary depending on sources. We have 32 wounded and 30 new prisoners of war. Having more than 30 POWs as a result of the fighting for 2 to 3 positions speaks to the most serious problems in the military. It just doesn't happen that way," the ex-president said.
Kocharyan believes the Armenia troops might have been under the impression of Nikol Pashinyan’s statement.
"Let me remind you that he [Pashinyan} said that he does not intend to start a war because of a mountain. Your country is made up of mountains. It is the same as if the Arabs would say, 'We will not fight for a desert”. Such a statement is a call to Azerbaijan to some extent, because it is clearly and directly stated that we will not fight for uninhabited mountains. If the first person of the state thinks so, why do we expect a major or a contract soldier of our country's armed forces to think otherwise? This is simply the best way to reduce the combat efficiency of the army," Kocharyan underlined....
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