The head of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) Sergei Naryshkin has said Armenia’s parliamentary elections were ‘in a certain sense, questionable’. Russian President Vladimir Putin has yet to congratulate Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on his victory, breaking tradition as a longtime ally of Armenia.

‘It’s clear that it’s complex. The elections weren’t easy, so to speak. The results are relative and, in a certain sense, questionable. Therefore, these very, I would say, lively political processes will continue’, Naryshkin told Russian state-run media TASS on Monday, the day after the final results of the elections were published.

According to the final results, the ruling Civil Contract party will hold 64 seats in parliament, while the opposition Strong Armenia party secured 29 seats and the Armenia Alliance won 12. Prosperous Armenia, another prominent opposition party led by tycoon Gagik Tsarukyan, failed to pass the 4% threshold required to enter parliament, receiving only 3.9893% of the vote.

The final results followed recounts at several hundred polling stations, as well as decisions by the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) to invalidate the voting results at three polling stations. The CEC further made a controversial decision not to organise repeat votes in those polling stations. Therefore, the ruling party has maintained the 3/5 majority necessary for appointing and dismissing key executive and judicial positions and changing constitutional law.

On Monday, Naryshkin further stressed the importance of maintaining bilateral ‘good relations’, highlighting ‘that cooperation and collaboration develop across all areas — economics, humanitarian cooperation, military, and military-technical cooperation’.

The remarks came amidst continued reluctance by Moscow to formally recognise the election’s outcome, as ties between Armenia and its historic ally remain tense.

Instead, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on 8 June that Moscow was monitoring reports of electoral violations and declined to comment on the vote, stating that Russia would wait for the final results.

Russian independent outlet Meduza has also reported, citing an employee of a major Kremlin-aligned media organisation, that the Kremlin had instructed state-run and pro-government media to portray the outcome as a ‘loss’ for Pashinyan, specifically using that wording. According to the report, officials also recommended highlighting alleged electoral violations in order to ‘sow doubts about Pashinyan’s legitimacy’.

Ahead of the vote, Putin raised Russia’s desire for ‘pro-Russian’ groups to participate in the elections.

At the same time, Russia imposed a series of restrictions on Armenian exports, which many saw as economic pressure to influence the election outcome. Just days before the vote, Moscow recalled its ambassador to Armenia, Sergei Kopyrkin, for ‘consultations’ over what Russian officials described as the Armenian leadership’s steps toward rapprochement with the EU.

Kopyrkin returned to Yerevan only after the elections.

Following his return,  during a reception marking Russia Day in Yerevan on 12 June, Kopyrkin said that Armenian–Russian relations ‘have entered a phase of reassessment and adaptation to changing global and regional realities’.

Russian Ambassador to Armenia Sergei Kopyrkin (left) and Armenian Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan (right) during a Russia Day celebration in Armenia 12 June 2026. Official photo.

Kopyrkin also reaffirmed Moscow’s readiness for ‘joint, constructive, and mutually beneficial cooperation based on the existing bilateral and multilateral mechanisms’.

The event saw the attendance of several Armenian officials, including Parliamentary Speaker Alen Simonyan and Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan.

Despite Moscow’s continued silence on the election outcome, Yerevan marked Russia Day with official congratulations, including a message from Pashinyan to Putin.

‘I am convinced that the multifaceted ties between the people […] of Armenia and Russia […] as well as the mutual readiness for an open and constructive dialogue based on respect for each other’s sovereignty and state interests, will continue to contribute to the strengthening of cooperation and the use of the full range of cooperation opportunities between our countries’, Pashinyan’s message read.