Armenia begins recruiting and training border guards for Azerbaijan border

Toneyan Mark
JAM News
July 21, 2026
  • JAMnews
  • Yerevan

The Armenian government plans to gradually transfer responsibility for guarding the entire Armenia-Azerbaijan border from the Defense Ministry to the Border Guard Troops of the National Security Service (NSS).

To make that possible, the agency needs additional personnel. The government therefore plans to expand the NSS by introducing the “I Have the Honor“ programme, which the Defense Ministry already runs successfully.

Under the programme, university students sign a contract to undergo military training while completing their studies. After graduation, they perform their military service at the location and under the conditions specified in the contract.

Under the new proposal, participants will first serve as conscripts in the rank of private in Defense Ministry units. They will then transfer to the NSS as commissioned officers.

“The new mechanism will help strengthen the National Security Service, particularly the Border Guard Troops, by recruiting personnel with higher education,” the explanatory note to the draft says.

Under an intergovernmental agreement signed in 1992, the Russian Federal Security Service’s Border Guard Service has been responsible for guarding Armenia’s borders with Turkey and Iran. In recent years, however, Armenia has steadily moved to place the protection of its borders entirely under its own control. In 2024, Russian border guards withdrew from Zvartnots International Airport and from border areas along the frontier with Azerbaijan.

On January 1, 2025, Russian border guards also left the border crossing on the Armenia-Iran frontier. Then, on March 1, Armenia’s National Security Service assumed sole responsibility for guarding the Margara border crossing with Turkey. Since the beginning of 2026, only Armenian border guards have been serving at the Akhurik border crossing on the Armenia-Turkey border.

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Deferring military service during university in exchange for serving as an officer

The “I Have the Honor” programme allows students to defer compulsory military service while at university. In return, they commit to serving later as commissioned officers.

“Students attend university free of charge, with the state covering tuition fees in full at the rate set by the university for the relevant programme.”

After graduating from university and completing the required military training, participants receive the rank of lieutenant and begin contract service.

Officers receive their assignments through a lottery system.

  • Those trained as platoon commanders serve for two years and three months.
  • Those trained for military medical service serve for four years after graduation, followed by one year of clinical residency.

What other changes does the draft propose?

The legislative package also includes amendments to several laws governing military service, the National Security Service’s Border Guard Troops, and the country’s national security agencies.

In particular, the draft would clearly define the circumstances in which NSS officers may use firearms, special equipment and physical force.

Before using force, officers would have to issue a warning and allow enough time for a person to comply with a lawful order, unless any delay posed an immediate danger. The draft also requires officers to use force proportionately to the level of resistance or threat. They would also have to provide first aid to anyone injured.

If parliament passes the legislative package, border guards will also be able to use video and audio recording devices while carrying out their duties.

The draft would also raise the retirement age for senior NSS officers from 52 to 55.

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Russia destroyed 40,000 Armenian roses shipped via Belarus

Talar Tumanian
JAM News
July 21, 2026

Officials from Russia‘s agricultural watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor in Smolensk Region discovered a shipment of freshly cut roses from Armenia that was being transported via Belarus.

According to the Belarusian outlet Euroradio, the shipment was deemed illegal because Russia has banned the import of nearly all Armenian goods since the spring.

Moscow says the import ban was imposed in response to what it described as violations of phytosanitary requirements. However, the restrictions were introduced after Armenia declared EU integration as a foreign policy goal, leading officials in Yerevan and the EU to view the move as politically motivated.

Russia has previously imposed similar trade restrictions on Georgia and Moldova to exert economic pressure amid political disagreements.

According to the accompanying documents, the lorry travelling from Belarus’s Minsk Region to Moscow was carrying non-alcoholic carbonated energy drinks. However, an inspection found 39,200 roses instead.

The flowers were being transported without the required phytosanitary certificates or shipping documents.

Rosselkhoznadzor said some of the boxes still bore labels identifying Armenia as the country of origin.

The roses were destroyed, while the carrier was held administratively liable.

Russia suspends flower imports from Iran over suspected re-exports from Armenia

Shortly after the reports emerged that Armenian roses transported via Belarus had been destroyed, Russia’s agricultural watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor suspended the certification of flowers for export to Russia from Iran, also over suspicions that they had been re-exported from Armenia.

The agency said flower shipments from Iran in 2026 had significantly exceeded the volume recorded during the same period last year.

Rosselkhoznadzor also said that although Iran was listed as the exporting country, the appearance of the flowers and their packaging were identical to products previously supplied from Armenia.

Background

Since early spring 2026, Russia has gradually introduced restrictions on Armenian products.

  • Initially, the measures targeted Jermuk mineral water, followed by a range of alcoholic beverages.
  • On 30 May, Russia banned imports from Armenia of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, herbs and strawberries.
  • This was followed by a temporary ban imposed by the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Rosselkhoznadzor) on the import of flowers and ornamental plants from Armenia.
  • Rosselkhoznadzor has also reported problems with imports of certain livestock products, as well as fish and fish products.
  • Armenia also received a letter from Russia warning of the possible termination of an agreement on supplies of natural gas, petroleum products and rough diamonds.

The restrictions imposed by Russia are significant for Armenia, as the Russian market has been the main destination for Armenian agricultural exports for decades.

The Armenian authorities are currently working, with active support from the European Union, to rapidly open alternative export markets for Armenian products.

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Russia Uses Controlled Pressure on Armenia Following Elections

Chatinian Lara
Jamestown Foundation
July 21, 2026

Russia Uses Controlled Pressure on Armenia Following Elections

Vali Kaleji

Executive Summary:

  • Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan visited Russia for the first time since winning Armenia’s June 7 parliamentary elections on July 6. High-level Russian officials, however, have not recognized Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s parliamentary election victory while criticizing Armenia’s elections.
  • Yerevan’s continued pursuit of peace with Baku, normalization with Türkiye, and closer ties with the European Union, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and the United States could erode Russia’s remaining military, political, and economic leverage in the region.
  • Moscow is likely to rely on controlled political, media, and economic pressure—including energy leverage and support for opposition forces—rather than broad sanctions on Armenia, seeking to preserve influence while discouraging Armenia’s further integration with the West.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan made his first visit to Russia following the country’s June 7 parliamentary elections on July 6 (Prime Minister of Armenia, July 6). In addition to attending the plenary session of the INNOPROM 2026 International Industrial Exhibition in Yekaterinburg, he met with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin (Prime Minister of Armenia; The Moscow Times, July 6). The visit comes after senior Russian officials—including President Vladimir Putin, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, as well as Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov and Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova—have yet to congratulate Pashinyan’s ruling Civil Contract Party on its victory in the parliamentary elections (Al Jazeera, June 8). 

Russian dissatisfaction extends well beyond its silence and refusal to congratulate Pashinyan. Echoing the strong criticism and protests voiced by Armenia’s opposition parties regarding alleged organized electoral fraud and political and security-related pressure exerted by the Armenian government, Zakharova also sharply criticized the conduct of Armenia’s parliamentary elections. She stated, “The parliamentary elections in Armenia were held under conditions of unprecedented pressure on the opposition and Western interference, primarily on the part of the European Union.” She added, “During the electoral process, Yerevan openly violated the principles and procedures governing the conduct of free elections” (Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs,  June 8).

The parliamentary elections in Armenia may signify the continuation and consolidation of the country’s foreign policy trajectory that Yerevan has pursued since May 2018 following the Velvet Revolution (see EDM, May 3, 2018). The principal features of this trajectory include reducing tensions and moving toward peace with Azerbaijan; normalizing relations with Türkiye; gradually distancing itself from Russia—including the possibility of withdrawing from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU); expanding engagement with the Western world, particularly the European Union, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and the United States; and implementing the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) between Azerbaijan and its Nakhchivan exclave through Armenia’s Syunik Province (see EDM, April 2, August 5, 2024, March 25, April 22, May 11, 22, June 3, 16, 22, July 20).

These trends do not align with Russia’s geopolitical interests in the South Caucasus. Armenia has traditionally been a strategic ally of Russia. Since Pashinyan came to power in May 2018, however, the country has taken a significant distance from Russia (see EDM, June 3, 2022, January 10, 2024, January 28, February 6, 2025, May 12). If, following Pashinyan’s victory in the recent parliamentary elections, Armenia were to withdraw from the CSTO and the EAEU, Russia would lose main points of leverage in the South Caucasus. Given that neither Azerbaijan nor Georgia is a member of these two Russia-led regional organizations, Moscow would effectively lose its two principal military-security and economic-commercial pillars in the South Caucasus. With the evacuation of Russian military bases from Armenia, the presence of Russian military forces in the South Caucasus would become limited only to the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia (see EDM, May 2, 2024, May 27)). Armenia’s potential withdrawal from the CSTO could pave the way for the expansion of the country’s cooperation with NATO. At the same time, its exit from the EAEU would lead to closer cooperation between Armenia and the European Union (see EDM, June 16).

Armenia’s parliamentary elections became—much like the elections held in recent years in Georgia, Ukraine, the Baltic states, and Eastern European countries—a choice between Russia and the West for Armenian voters (see EDM, April 15, June 5, June 15). A repeat of the results of the April Hungarian elections in Armenia within such a short period of time was another blow to Russia’s influence. The fall of former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government—Russia’s closest partner within the European Union—after 16 years represented one of the most significant setbacks to Russia’s strategy in Central Europe in recent years (see EDM, May 7).  

Russia’s preferred outcome in Armenia’s parliamentary elections was likely the victory of Armenian nationalist and conservative political forces, particularly the Strong Armenia Alliance led by Samvel Karapetyan, an Armenian-Russian businessman, or the Armenia Alliance led by former Armenian President Robert Kocharyan (see EDM, June 5). Such an outcome would have enabled Armenia to return its foreign policy to its pre-2018 orientation, under which the country, alongside states such as Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan, was regarded as one of Russia’s close and traditional allies.

Under these circumstances, it appears that Russia is waiting to see the outcome of the continuing protest strategy pursued by Armenia’s opposition parties. The joint statement issued by five opposition political parties condemning the ruling of Armenia’s Constitutional Court upholding the election results, as well as the protests against the detention of prominent opposition figures, including Gagik Tsarukyan, leader of the Prosperous Armenia Party, may have led Russia to conclude that Armenia’s political situation remains unstable (Armenian Weekly, July 7, 9).

The opposition parties may choose to boycott the new Armenian parliament while, at the same time, protests by their supporters continue on the streets of Yerevan (Caucasian Knot, July 14). Under such circumstances, Moscow could argue that a segment of Armenia’s political community has not accepted the election results. In this context, the absence of congratulatory messages from Russian officials may be part of a broader strategy aimed at calling Pashinyan’s political legitimacy into question. The most desirable scenario for Russia appears to be the creation of a prolonged war of attrition, in which street protests, legal challenges, parliamentary boycotts, and media pressure continue simultaneously. In such a situation, Pashinyan would remain prime minister from a legal standpoint, but he would continuously face challenges to his political legitimacy, making it more difficult to sustain his pro-Western orientation and to further distance Armenia from Russia.

Russia’s subsequent steps will depend on its response to Pashinyan’s practical course of action, particularly about Armenia’s potential withdrawal from the CSTO, the closure of Russian military bases, and its potential exit from the EAEU. Under such circumstances, Russia would likely employ a combination of more punitive measures and economic pressure against Armenia, including the gradual increase of natural gas prices; the imposition of technical or customs restrictions on certain Armenian goods; the reduction of Russian investments; the application of informal restrictions on Armenian migrant workers in Russia; and political and media support for domestic opposition groups (see EDM, June 5; Armenpress, July 21).

This model can be described as controlled pressure. Moscow likely does not want to push Armenia completely toward the West by imposing excessive pressure. Amid its competition with the West, Moscow appears to prefer to preserve its remaining levers of influence in Armenia. Broad sanctions could have the opposite effect by further increasing anti-Russian sentiment among the Armenian public. In the energy sector, they could push Armenia toward alternative gas sources from Azerbaijan, Iran, and Turkmenistan (see EDM, November 20, 2024, March 25, May 5, 19). In the transit sector, they could lead to Armenia’s deeper integration into the Middle Corridor. They could allow European countries, the United States, India, Iran, and the People’s Republic of China to become involved in infrastructure projects such as railways, telecommunications, and electricity networks, as well as in financial and banking markets (see EDM, August 12, September 24, October 15, 2025, January 22, March 31, May 22, June 3, July 20). All these considerations will likely compel Russia to apply controlled pressure on Pashinyan’s government to change or adjust its policies.

Russia’s continuing war against Ukraine also plays a factor in Russia’s position abroad. Russia’s involvement in the war against Ukraine and the extensive sanctions imposed on Russia by the West have played a role in Russia’s flexibility toward Azerbaijan and Türkiye, as well as in the reduction of Russia’s focus on the South Caucasus (see EDM, May 20, July 7, 22, October 27, 2025, February 2, April 22). If the war against Ukraine ends in any form, Russia’s return to the geopolitical dynamics of this region would become highly likely, placing greater pressure on Armenia under Pashinyan’s leadership.

If relations between Moscow and Yerevan enter a phase of severe tensions following the elections, an increase in gas prices and indirect economic pressures could be considered a relatively likely scenario. Comprehensive and official economic sanctions against Armenia, however, appear less likely in the short term, and such a scenario would become more plausible only if Armenia formally withdraws from the CSTO and the EAEU. Until then, Russia is likely to prefer using political and media pressure, as well as energy leverage, to exert influence without destroying its channels of communication with Armenia.


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Ancient stone tools reveal complex nomadic lifestyles in Armenian Highlands

Ani Kharatian
PHYS.ORG
July 21, 2026

by Hebrew University of Jerusalem

edited by Lisa Lock, reviewed by Robert Egan

A team of international scientists led by Dr. Ariel Malinsky-Buller, together with Ph.D. students David Nora, Ioannis Oikonomou and Dominik Rogall from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, has uncovered new insights into the strategic decision-making and survival techniques of Middle Paleolithic hunter-gatherers. The study, led by Nora, examined ancient stone tool fragments from Ararat-1 Cave in Armenia. Researchers mapped how early human populations adapted their technology to survive in a rugged and ecologically varied environment.

The research, published in the journal Quaternary Science Reviews, analyzed an assemblage of 1,770 stone artifacts spanning five distinct layers. The study focused on the late Middle Paleolithic period, roughly between 33,000 and 52,000 years ago, when ancient human populations navigated environmental shifts in the South Caucasus region.

The team uncovered a distinct dichotomy in how prehistoric groups used different stone resources. High-quality obsidian tools were transported across long distances, with some originating from volcanic sources up to 200 kilometers (124 miles) away. These obsidian tools show evidence of continuous reshaping and maintenance, illustrating a curated toolkit designed for highly mobile groups moving through mid- and high-altitude mountain corridors.

In contrast, tools made from local chert reflected an expedient strategy. The chert artifacts show signs of initial production onsite, indicating that early humans used nearby resources for short-term tasks while staying at a specific location. By adopting a novel analytical framework that tracks tiny fragments under 20 millimeters, the researchers were able to identify evidence of tool repair, even when the final tools themselves were carried away from the site.

The findings challenge traditional methods that classify ancient cultures solely by static tool shapes. Instead, the study reveals that Ararat-1 Cave functioned primarily as a strategic maintenance-and-rest station within a complex network of seasonal migration routes.

“Our study demonstrates that ancient hunter-gatherers were highly flexible and strategic thinkers,” said Malinsky-Buller, head of the Human-Environment-Dynamics Laboratory at the Hebrew University Institute of Archaeology. “They did not rely on a single way of doing things. Instead, they carefully balanced portable, long-distance toolkits with immediate local resources, treating caves like Ararat-1 as critical hubs to rest, repair their gear and plan their next move across a challenging landscape.”

New studies reveal 100,000 years of prehistoric life in the Caucasus

An upcoming issue of Quaternary Science Reviews, edited by Malinsky-Buller and Prof. Erella Hovers, researchers from the Institute of Archaeology at the Hebrew University, presents a series of studies resulting from four seasons of excavations at prehistoric sites in Armenia. The research sheds new light on how early hunter-gatherers lived in the southern Caucasus—a region shaped by diverse landscapes, sharp temperature contrasts and strong seasonal changes.

Drawing on evidence spanning the past 300,000 years, the studies combine archaeology with geological and environmental data, including isotope analysis and faunal remains, to reconstruct human behavior over time. Placed in a broader regional context, the findings highlight the importance of the southern Caucasus as a key—yet previously understudied—area for understanding prehistoric life across Eurasia.

The introduction and summary by Malinsky-Buller present midterm results of the TransCause project, focusing on how Pleistocene hunter-gatherers adapted to long-term climate change (~250–29 thousand years ago). They emphasize the link between environmental change, mobility, subsistence and social networks. Evidence from sites such as Kalavan-2, Ararat-1 and Dalarik-1 shows how varied landscapes and seasonal shifts shaped lifeways, with flexible movement, tool use and social connections playing a central role.

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The US-Iran conflict is becoming a challenge for Armenia

Torgomian Varazdat

According to The Economist, the war against Iran has become not only a foreign political impasse for Donald Trump, but also a heavy domestic political burden. Americans do not see a clear goal of the war, a measurable result, or a realistic way out of it.


It seems that ordinary Americans are no longer debating whether the war will end in victory or defeat. They are especially convinced that it will be long-lasting, and the government does not have a strategy to get out of it. This is a deeper form of public distrust than mere opposition to war.


This is a particularly worrying development for Armenia. A long-term American-Iranian war increases the risk of internal destabilization of Iran, disruption of southern communication, increase in the price of transportation and fuel, as well as a change in the balance of power in the entire South Caucasus.


Davit Ananyan, former chairman of the RA SRC




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Due to hacking of the application, the man stole more than 6.7 million drams

Emil Lazarian

The preliminary investigation of the criminal proceedings initiated in relation to the case of particularly large-scale computer theft has been completed in the cybercrime and high-tech sector investigation department of the RA Investigative Committee’s main department for the investigation of particularly important cases, in the case of 1 person.


In the course of the preliminary investigation, it appears that factual information was obtained that K.M., having learned about the technical error of not implementing the function of checking the balance of the account when making transfers between accounts through the company’s electronic application, with the direct intention of stealing someone else’s property, during the period from March 30 to April 8, 2024, illegally, without the permission stipulated by law, contract or other legal basis, in the computer system of the bank opened in his name entered data on the transfer of allegedly different amounts of money to his account of the company.


Then, due to the technical error presented above, a particularly large sum of 6 million 714 thousand AMD was generated on the balance of the company’s electronic wallet and the account opened in his name, which was stolen by transferring to other bank cards.


The criminal proceedings regarding Kh.M. were sent to the supervising prosecutor with an indictment.

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HRD and the governor of Syunik discussed the problems of residents of the region

Antranik Varosian

Human Rights Defender Anahit Manasyan’s working visit to Syunik Marz continues.

On July 21, human rights defender Anahit Manasyan met with Syunik Marz Governor Robert Ghukasyan in Kapan.

The problems related to human rights in the region were discussed, as well as socio-economic issues, including gasification in rural areas, access to drinking and irrigation water, realization of property rights, school construction and a number of other issues.

In his speech, the Defender emphasized the constructive work formed with the Governor of Syunik, as a result of which a number of recorded problems are quickly resolved.

Anahit Manasyan expressed his commitment to solve the discussed issues within the framework of the mandate.

The defender expressed confidence that thanks to joint efforts, the region should continuously improve the systems that affect people’s lives.

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It is a period of activation of snakes in Armenia. rescuers received more than 600 aha

Tatoyan Vazgen

Along with the construction activity in the country, the reptiles have also become active. Half of the year has not yet passed, but the rescue service has already received more than 600 calls from citizens regarding the discovery of snakes. Compared to the same period last year, this indicator is 74 more.


According to rescuers, 315 snakes were found this year, 50 of which were poisonous. Experts note that reptiles become more active in warm weather, which is why citizens’ alarms increase.


The rescue service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs receives applications regarding the discovery of snakes from different settlements of the country. This year, the most alarms were registered from Yerevan. about 43 percent of the total cases were from the capital. Many alarms were also received from Kotayk region, 104 cases in the first semester.


The representative of the rescue service notes that snakes themselves are not a danger if people do not try to harm or catch them.


“If we do not try to harm the snake and keep a distance of approximately 2 meters, then it will leave on its own. It won’t cause any harm or attack,” experts say.


According to the rescuers, the reptiles mostly appear in the adjacent areas of the buildings, especially in the newly built areas. Such places were often their natural habitat in the past.


“The territories of the newly constructed buildings were not inhabited before. It can be said that they were more their territory. Now, when we build new buildings in those areas, it turns out that we are entering their environment”, said the representative of the rescue service.


One of the residents said that snake tracks are often found near his house.


“This morning I saw the changed skin of a snake, it was thrown there. There are not many snakes in our area, but they harm only when they feel threatened,” he said.


The rescuers urge the citizens not to panic when they see a snake and not to try to catch or harm the animal by themselves. It is necessary to immediately call the rescue service, whose employees will move the reptile to a safe place.


If a snake has bitten a person, experts advise to contact the emergency service immediately and not to engage in self-medication. Various “folk” methods can cause more damage than the snake bite itself.

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Our team prepares defamation claims. Tonoyan

Babken Chilingarian

The statements made against Gagik Tsarukyan in the mass media are absolute slander and cheap tricks, and the party’s legal team is already preparing lawsuits against the authors of those publications. Iveta Tonoyan, the press secretary of “Prosperous Armenia” party leader Gagik Tsarukyan, announced this in a conversation with journalists on July 21.


According to him, some people are trying to “dig up” years-old baseless stories in order to attack the reputation of a politician through loud headlines. “We are dealing with the product of a sick imagination. people who only three years ago diligently participated in the contest for the statue of Jesus Christ, now come up with fabricated statements, for each of which they will answer in court,” Tonoyan emphasized. He noted that the arrest and detention of the leader of the party do not have any legal basis and are exclusively political pressure and the decision of the authorities to get rid of the opponents.


Iveta Tonoyan also assured that the “Prosperous Armenia” party will continue to play an active role in the political life of the country, despite the mandates stolen from it in the parliament. “Although our supporters and employees are threatened and pressured not to go to protests, our team is united and will continue to fight against the existing injustice,” Tsarukyan’s press secretary concluded.

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The State Budget has paid 12.6 billion AMD in taxes and duties

Emil Lazarian

During the first half of the current year, the company “Electric Networks of Armenia” paid about 12.6 billion AMD in taxes and duties to the RA state budget.

Romanos Petrosyan, the interim manager of the National Economic and Social Committee, wrote about this on his Facebook page, emphasizing that this is about 62% more than the payments made in the same period of the previous year (1st semester of 2025).


“In the same period of the last year, before the initiation of administrative proceedings against the HEC by the PSC, the sum of payments to the state budget amounted to around 7.8 billion AMD. The HEC no longer serves our people,” wrote Petrosyan.

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