Armenian Defense Ministry warns Azerbaijan

 Defense Ministry of Armenia has warned Azerbaijan today that any attempt to bring military equipment and personnel close to the borders of Armenia or Artsakh during the drills on May 18-22 “will be considered a provocation and met with corresponding actions”, Mediamax reports.

Azerbaijan will hold large-scale operative-tactical exercise on May 18-22. The exercise is exclusively offensive, during which massive artillery, air, and high-precision weapons will be fired at the enemy’s operational depth.

The Defense Ministry has issued a statement, which reads:

“According to the announcement by the Defense Ministry of Azerbaijan, the country is going to conduct large-scale operative and strategic exercise on May 18-22.

It should be noted that the exercise focuses on the training for an offensive, which will include mass strikes with missile and artillery, aviation, and high-accuracy weapons.

The Defense Ministry of Armenia brings to the notice of OSCE, OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, Personal Representative of OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and the international community the fact that following its custom, Azerbaijan implements large-scale military drills without prior notification, which is another gross violation of the 2011 Vienna document that outlines the means for strengthening trust and security.

The Defense Ministry of Armenia condemns the implementation of this exercise which aggravates the security situation in the region on the background of the need for coordinated efforts against COVID-19 pandemic and in defiance of the call for ceasefires globally by the UN Secretary General.

We urge Azerbaijan to exercise restraint and respect its international commitments. At the same time, we inform Azerbaijan that any attempt to bring military equipment and personnel close to the borders of Armenia or Artsakh during the drills will be considered a provocation and met with corresponding actions.”