July 11, 2026
In the Russian direction, Nikol Pashinyan’s first post-election visit took place to Yekaterinburg, where he and Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin participated in the “Innoprom” international industrial forum on July 6.
A month has passed since the Armenian parliamentary elections held on June 7, but the lack of official congratulations from the Kremlin remains one of the most remarkable details of the agenda of Armenian-Russian relations, turning into a demonstrative gesture of diplomatic “silence”.
Along with the economic restrictions and harsh rhetoric applied to Armenia during the pre-election campaign, this demonstrative “indifference” of Russia to the results of the elections seems to be a signal that Moscow is waiting for Yerevan’s next steps, still not agreeing to accept the elections held in Armenia, as well as the foreign policy conducted by the RA authorities.
However, it seems that the visit to Yekaterinburg and the meeting with Mishustin was not enough, because days have passed since the visit, but there seems to be no change in Russia’s decisions.
Recently, during the briefing following the Government session, Nikol Pashinyan referred to the meeting with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin held in Yekaterinburg.
He mentioned that he had an open, sincere and friendly discussion with the head of the government of the Russian Federation. “A number of agreements have been reached, the details of which I do not want to publish at the moment. Let’s wait for them to be implemented, and you will see the results yourself,” said Pashinyan. We wrote earlier that at that meeting, the Russian side stood out for its reserved, cold, pragmatic attitude towards the Armenian delegation.
However, the contacts that took place in Yekaterinburg actually recorded the existing gulf rather than outlined the ways to overcome it.
The negotiations behind closed doors have turned into a complex and contradictory dialogue, where the economic agenda is regularly overshadowed by fundamental political demands. For Moscow, economic cooperation has long ceased to be a purely pragmatic issue. it is considered as an indicator of Yerevan’s political loyalty and strategic orientation.
The Russian side makes it clear that any economic “package” or privilege should be based on the revision of the foreign policy course by the Armenian authorities, which, however, contradicts the practice adopted by the official Yerevan.
While Moscow is waiting for obvious manifestations of political “obedience”, Yerevan continues to consistently follow the path of diversification and balancing announced by the authorities. This strategic breakdown has led to a stalemate where reaching a consensus becomes almost impossible.
The “non-recognition” of the election results by the Russian Federation has turned into a unique leverage. The Kremlin, using this silence, is trying to exert psychological and economic pressure on the authorities of Armenia, forcing them to make a foreign policy choice: either towards the West, or towards the Eurasian Economic Union and Russia.
As a result, Pashinyan’s words about “friendly discussions” and “unpublished agreements” at this stage seem more like attempts at diplomatic restraint than signs of a real breakthrough. There is a situation when the parties speak different languages. Yerevan tries to separate economy from politics, and Moscow refuses to discuss economic issues without political guarantees.
The lack of official congratulations from Moscow is not a temporary protocol failure, but a political decision with the aim of showing that the “new reality” in Armenia is unacceptable to the Russian elite.
Under these conditions, Russia continues to use its influence levers, trying to return Armenia to its sphere of influence, and Yerevan is trying to find new political and economic trusts. Armenian-Russian relations have reached a diplomatic impasse, where the incompatibility of political expectations between the parties does not allow moving to a practical agenda, leading to an unprecedented stagnation of relations.
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168: The general said that it is possible that the opposition has placed something against the wall
July 11, 2026
July 14 It is the birthday of Lt. General Manvel Grigoryan, a participant in the Artsakh Liberation War, hero of Artsakh.
168 TV’s “Zara has a question” This time, the program was filmed in the Manvel Grigoryan Museum in Vagharshapat, and we talked during the program. With Manvel Grigoryan’s wife, the first Armenian female colonel Nazik Amiryan, Manvel Grigoryan’s comrades-in-arms Vazgen Vardanyan, Arkadi Mardanyan, Martin Sargsyan, Arsen Manukyan, Narine Mnatsakanyan, the head of the media department of the “Victory 5th Brigade” patriotic NGO.
After the well-known events of 2018, this is the first big interview about Manvel Grigoryan’s activities, and the guests of the program had the opportunity to reflect on what was happening around the general in those days, the so-called “tushonka” scandalous episode, other attempts to name him and the accusations of former friends.
Below are some excerpts from our conversation with Nazik Amiryan:
- In 1989, as part of the Echmiadzin volunteer squads, we went to Artsakh, Hadrut region for the first time, and there the volunteers were distributed by villages. I was in Melikashen village, the general was in Aknaghbyur. We carried out defensive operations as part of squads. Later, when the squads were united and Manvel Grigoryan was appointed commander, that’s how we got to know each other.
- Manvel Grigoryan was chosen as the leader of the group in the village where he was at first because he was one of the most stable and disciplined members. And although he did not have a specific military education, he had no equal in terms of correctly assessing the situation and making decisions.
- Let me tell you why the enemy set a death penalty for Manvel Grigoryan. In 1992 The Artsakh army was formed, and in the initial period our detachments were united and entered into the composition of the Artsakh army. In 1993, the brigade was already formed, and the same area where we carried out the defense, mainly “Hadrut Tzorak”. There was a whole row of villages whose border defense was carried out by our brigade, and no matter how much the Azerbaijanis tried to advance or take some actions, they all failed, and they were already talking that the reason for their defeat was the actions organized by Commander Manvel.
- When our fairly large territories were liberated, the Turks set a large bounty for the general, so that if someone managed to encroach on the general’s life, he would receive quite a lot of money. Of course, they did not succeed, and it remained in their dreams.
- For him, for the person who liberated his homeland, it was a great pleasure to go to Artsakh, to see Artsakh as it is: free, independent, growing, developing, beautifying. Grandchildren were the greatest joy in the family, and with the birth of each new grandchild, he was reborn again. He was going on a pilgrimage. they took their grandchildren with them, once a year they had to go to Artsakh for a pilgrimage. During the pilgrimage, he introduced them to territories, villages, positions, so that the children would understand from a young age what patriotism is, what is native land, what is liberated land.
- You know, in 2018 we wanted to explain to everyone that these coming authorities will give Artsakh. In 2018, nobody listened to us. These actions were taken against the general because perhaps the only person who would never agree with the current state of Artsakh would be Manvel Grigoryan. He would never agree and would never obey an order. that is, at least all the boys, whom he would gather around him and take to Artsakh, like in April 2016, would not obey the order. Perhaps, in order to avoid this, these authorities decided that the best, loudest target is Manvel Grigoryan, and they also used the opinion of the misunderstanding mass of the society and the undeserving mass and organized what we saw.
- What was shown was very difficult to explain to the public afterwards, and the reality was that after April Fool’s Day of 2016, the general gave a written order to all the land guard departments of Armenia to create warehouses so that, God forbid, if there is another episode like April Fool’s Day, we would not have a problem, just get weapons from the state and go to guard the border again. And the government, the NSS, used the concept of “reserves” very well, using the concept of a soldier’s section to create a negative public opinion. Those letters… we even presented evidence in the court in the form of a videotape of how those same letters are read on the front line, and how the general orders to collect those letters to be taken to Armenia and put in a museum.
- In other words, they used everything. they film the warehouse of Yerkhapah, where even the equipment of Yerkhapah is standing, then they edit and show that, look, “soldier’s department” is written and it is in the warehouse. And then, our society generally forgets that after 2008, General Manvel Grigoryan had no contact with the army at all. In 2008 Lieutenant General Manvel Grigoryan was discharged from the army. And in 2018 they used public opinion, they say that he usurped the soldier’s section.
- The general was immediately arrested, and since I was also accused in the case, we were forbidden to meet each other, and we did not communicate for more than a year. But the part that he had the opportunity to see already, he simply said that he could not imagine that these authorities, which were covered by the mask of democracy, would be so pro-Turkish and would sacrifice both Artsakh and our borders. And already in 2020, when Azerbaijan attacked Artsakh, and not only Artsakh, all our borders were already in a troubled situation, sitting on a wheelchair, he did not remain calm in his place. applied to the court so that the court would allow him to go to Artsakh.
- Of course, after that permission, he didn’t even stay for an hour, he immediately left for Artsakh, because he thought that even in a wheelchair, his physical presence would have some result, some result. Of course, unfortunately, he could not organize all that for a long time there, because he was infected with the coronavirus, and on October 27 he was transferred to Armenia in a serious condition.
- In those days, he published a video message from Shush, appealing to all his fighting friends, asking and warning that we are losing Artsakh, whoever has the opportunity should come to protect Artsakh.
- The war of 2020 in Artsakh lacked a general like Manvel Grigoryan, it was missing, it was not there. In other words, the soldier, the conscript fought, the soldier held his position until his last breath, but what happened was due to organization and bad commanders.
- Of course, the reality also looks a little different. according to the document signed on November 9, the army of both sides should stand where it was standing. And since our society does not own these areas, does not know them, has not been there for the most part, does not even imagine what happened. Quite large territories were handed over after signing that contract, with a verbal agreement. they pulled our boys back and gave those territories as a gift to Azerbaijan, they just gave it as a gift. The rest were given as a gift already in 2023.
- People have not seen the atrocities of the Azerbaijanis, they simply have not seen all that. we have seen, we know how they can treat the elderly, children, women, soldiers. We have seen all these atrocities since 1989, and the same atrocities were seen by the people of Artsakh who fought heroically. And today, we don’t have Artsakh, the former borders of the Republic of Armenia? today the Turk is also sitting in our land and has built such fortifications for himself that hardly anyone would think that he would give those fortifications back to the Republic of Armenia.
- I don’t believe in peace. a couple of days ago, the head of the country said: if we don’t do this, they will take Jermuk, if we don’t do this, they will take Vardenis. It is not allowed, I simply cannot imagine how it is possible to talk about our borders with such irony. The borders of Artsakh have been protected for so many years, so many children and boys have been killed.
- You know, Manvel Grigoryan’s attitude after learning that news (we are talking about the contract of November 9. – Z.D.) analyzed our whole life in just one sentence, as well as all the unpleasant situations he went through in those 2 years. he simply said that it could be endured, but it is impossible to endure the loss of Artsakh. And so he left. He could not bear the loss of Artsakh, because at that time, you know, the doctors recorded that there was a positive change in him. After ten months, he suddenly got worse.
- As much as we thinkHe was very strict, but he tried to interpret the betrayal of his friends in his own way, to find positive shades, tried to get rid of that treacherous move. He said that maybe they were forced, maybe the opponents put something in there that they couldn’t get out of it, they had to. He was justifying. I look drier. I said, “Oh, that’s how it happened,” he said, “No, don’t look like that, think that that person might have been pushed against the wall, he thought that I am a strong person, I will endure more than him.” At least, he didn’t leave angry with his friends.
- I don’t know if other nations have that expression or not, they say: go die, come love. Our elders always say that our nation does not like living heroes, its heroes must die, be martyred and centuries pass, sanctify their heroes. The character of Manvel Grigoryan’s military commander will still be used. We can see from history that the same policy was followed towards Andranik, Nzhdeh, Dro, everyone. If Andranik had not managed to leave Armenia, they would have been judged by the same articles.
Excerpts from a conversation with comrades in arms
- He was a different person. he simply did not communicate, and the people who play with his name today did not communicate with him, they do not know that person.
- On the battlefield, he called, spread the map and explained. It was strict, but on the one hand, it was fair, after 10 minutes you didn’t recognize the same person. he put aside his strictness, because he was a soldier with a soldier, and a commander with a commander.
- Manvel Grigoryan was both a big brother and a parent for us. I regret to say that all this should not have happened to our Armenian people.
- God will open the light one day, we will all be in Artsakh. I say it again, I said it a long time ago: an Armenian is never a murderer, an Armenian just wants to keep and protect his ancestral land and water, his sanctity, his Christianity. A soldier does not want war, a soldier is always the owner of peace. yes, we are the owners of peace, but if the enemy does not understand this, what kind of peace are we talking about? He wants to see us on his knees, but he is excluded.
Excerpts from the conversation of Narine Mnatsakanyan, a former employee of the YCU media:
- 2018 in general, before those incidents reached the commander, I thought that people who have not seen Artsakh are coming to power. They did not know what Artsakh is, it was easy to surrender Artsakh to them. And what about General Manvel… General Manvel was unmanageable, no one could lead General Manvel, control him, tell him that it should be like this. And this government did not need such people.
- They could not tell General Manvel that we have to sacrifice a lot and then say that we are giving land. General Manvel could not be told to give Artsakh so that we can live well, and General Manvel would not obey these lying generals. I will give a name. I never gave, General Manvel was not Melkonian Gago. You could not convince General Manvel to give Artsakh. He himself would have said: we will die, but we will keep our land as much as we can, but we cannot give Artsakh, our age-old enemy, as a gift.
Details in the video
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Armenia’s Jews hope Israeli recognition of Ottoman genocide will jumpstart bi
An explosion of Jewish life in the former Soviet republic comes against the backdrop of frosty relations between the country and Israel
YEREVAN, Armenia (JTA) — Last Friday night, 13 mostly Russian-speaking Jews and three Arab Muslims gathered under a cherry tree next to the popular Common Grounds coffee shop in Yerevan — capital of the world’s oldest Christian country — to welcome Shabbat.
Samson Karapetyan — the son of an Armenian Christian father and a Jewish mother from Azerbaijan — recited the Hebrew blessing for wine over a glass of Georgian Palavani kosher merlot. Karapetyan, 29, stood at the head of a table piled high with hummus, falafel, pita, stuffed grape leaves, babaganoush and other Middle Eastern delicacies supplied by a local Lebanese caterer.
Then everyone, including the three invited Arabs, joined in a spirited rendition of “Lecha Dodi” — with printed transliterations in English for those not familiar with the traditional Jewish melody.
“I’m so glad we have a community here,” said Ekaterina Goldschmidt, 32, a tattooed landscape architect who showed up to the Shabbat dinner with Teya, her little black Kokoni dog.
The dinner was organized by Yerevan Jewish Home, a social network formed by Russian-born journalist and blogger Nathaniel Trubkin in the wake of Vladimir Putin’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. That ongoing war spurred a large exodus from both countries and brought as many as 2,000 Jews to Armenia — boosting the ex-Soviet republic’s tiny Jewish population tenfold and injecting new blood into what had been a stagnant, dwindling community of mostly pensioners.
The explosion of Jewish life came against the backdrop of frosty ties between Armenia and Israel, the country that absorbed the most Ukrainian and Russian Jewish emigres since the war’s start. The chill has been a consequence of Armenia’s close relations with neighboring Iran, as well as Israel’s unwillingness to offend Turkey by naming as a genocide the Ottoman massacre of 1.5 million Armenians during World War I.
Another key obstacle has been resentment over Israel’s extensive weapons sales to neighboring Azerbaijan, with which Armenia has fought several border wars in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Those obstacles may be falling away. Last year in Washington, predominantly Muslim Azerbaijan and mostly Christian Armenia signed a peace treaty at the urging of US President Donald Trump — garnering praise from Jewish leaders in both countries.
And on June 29, Israel’s Cabinet unanimously passed a resolution recognizing the 1915 genocide. That declaration now goes to the full Knesset where, despite intense lobbying from both Turkey and Azerbaijan, it will likely be ratified — making Israel the 36th country to take that step.
“The Jewish community here is happy that Israel has finally recognized this genocide,” Trubkin told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. “Every self-respecting Jew knows what happened to the Armenians, though of course many Armenians are asking, ‘Why only now?’ It’s all about politics.”
From left: Tatiana Kliuchnikova, Julia Kislev and Nataniel Trubkin at Yerevan’s Mama Jan Café. Kliuchnikova and Trubkin are among an estimated 1,000 Russian Jews who have settled in Armenia since Russia invaded Ukraine two years ago. (Larry Luxner/ JTA)
Added Karapetyan: “Everyone understands that our two nations have a similar heritage, with a similar destiny. It is impossible, when you speak about the Shoah, to not also speak about the Armenian genocide. If we study one of them, we need to study the other.”
Both Turkey and its ally, Azerbaijan, immediately condemned the Cabinet vote; the chief rabbi of Azerbaijan’s Ashkenazi congregation in Baku, Shneur Segal, has already urged Israel to reverse it immediately.
The reaction from Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan was cold. Suggesting that Israel is motivated purely by geopolitics, he told reporters the day the change was announced: “We believe that not entering into the issue of the weaponization of the Armenian genocide is in the interests of the Republic of Armenia. Therefore, we do not see any need for a response.”
Other external factors appear to be drawing Yerevan and Jerusalem closer together.
Late last month, some 350 women representing the Israeli labor federation Histadrut gathered at Yerevan’s Megerian Carpet Restaurant to mark International Day of Women in Diplomacy. The event featured popular songs in Hebrew by prominent Georgian vocalist Kristi Japaridze as well as a performance of traditional Armenian music and dance.
The Histadrut visit — the largest such Israeli delegation to tour Armenia in years — was organized with help from Israeli House, an NGO based in Jerusalem. Founded in 2012 by former Jewish Agency official Itsik Moshe, the network promotes Israeli culture and business, and now operates in 30 countries, including both Azerbaijan and Turkey.
Moshe, who is also president of the Israel-Georgia Chamber of Business, said Israeli House will open its next outpost in Armenia sometime in August or September.
Assisting Moshe is Andranik Arakelyan, an educational consultant at Yerevan’s National Polytechnic University, though a specific location has yet to be decided. In its final form, he suggested, Israeli House could include a business center to showcase Israeli tourism as well as innovations in agriculture and medicine.
“I consider Israeli House as a cultural first step for strengthening ties between our two nations. The rest is up to politicians and diplomats,” said Arakelyan, 36, a Christian who spent four years in Glendale, California, a predominantly Armenian suburb of Los Angeles.
“This is the best time for our countries to get closer,” Arakelyan said, while acknowledging that “a small minority” of Armenians hold antisemitic views. “Many parties here question the timing of this [genocide] recognition, calling it a political maneuver. But when the draft becomes a resolution in the Knesset, Armenians will see that it wasn’t fake.”
Marina Kozliner, a community activist who has long campaigned for this recognition, said reactions among the 10,000 or so Armenian Jews and Christians living in Israel have been mixed.
“On one hand, there is real happiness. Our community has waited for this for decades,” said Kozliner, the daughter of a Jewish father and an Armenian atheist mother who is based in Bat Yam, just south of Tel Aviv. “On the other, many people feel it came at the wrong political moment. Because of that, something that should have been a moral decision has become a political tool, and that has taken away part of the joy.”
She added: “Still, I prefer to look ahead. Armenia is making real efforts to move toward peace and to normalize relations with its neighbors, including Azerbaijan. That gives many of us hope for a more stable future in the region.”
In fact, the same day Trubkin and his friends were celebrating their Shabbat dinner in Yerevan, Narek Mkrtchyan, Armenia’s ambassador to the United States, received prominent pro-Israel philanthropist and Trump supporter Miriam Adelson in Washington, DC.
“We had an interesting and substantive conversation regarding the Armenia-US agenda, investment opportunities in Armenia, and the country’s rich historical and cultural heritage,” Mkrtchyan posted on Facebook, adding, “Mrs. Adelson expressed great interest in considering a visit to Armenia.”
Armenian ambassador to the US Narek Mkrtchyan welcomes Vice President JD Vance and second lady Usha Vance as they arrive in Yerevan, Armenia, February 9, 2026. (Kevin Lamarque/Pool Photo via AP)
Eric Hacopian, a political analyst who made his career advising Democratic candidates in southern California, suggested that such a meeting “could not have happened a few months ago.”
But when it comes to Armenian-Israeli relations, he said, it’s important to take a long-term view of the genocide declaration from Jerusalem.
“I think something like this five to 10 years ago would have meant a lot more. It means a lot less now,” he said. “One reason is that [Prime Minister Pashinyan] is particularly anti-nationalist and more focused on normalization of ties with Turkey and Azerbaijan, so they won’t engage directly with Israel.”
He predicted a long-term shift. “I’m very confident that over the next 10 or 15 years, we’re going to see a switcheroo, in which Israel will have much better relations with Armenia, and more problematic relations with Azerbaijan,” Hacopian said. “I see relations improving, mostly because Turkish-Israeli relations are going downhill, and Israel’s relations with Azerbaijan are entirely transactional — oil for weapons and access to Iran.”
And if and when the Islamist regime in Iran collapses, Azerbaijan’s strategic importance to Israel declines as well, and Armenia’s increases. For one thing, Hacopian noted, Armenia’s economy is booming. In 2018, per-capita GDP was around $4,500; this year, it’ll likely surpass $10,000 — helped along by the presence of information technology giants including AMD, Synopsis and Nvidia.
“The one ‘X factor’ no one notices is that the IT business is booming. Israeli IT firms are already here, and data centers are being built,” he said. “You cannot be in the IT business in this region if you don’t have relations with Israel.”
Meanwhile, Jewish life is taking root in Armenia, thanks largely to the efforts of Trubkin and his friends in the Yerevan Jewish Home network.
Goldschmidt, the tattooed landscape artist with the dog, was born and raised in Saratov — a major city southeast of Moscow. She left Russia in 2023, about a year after it attacked Ukraine.
“When everything started, I shared my opinions and told everyone what I thought. Eventually, I had to leave; otherwise I’d have ended up in jail,” said the young woman, who moved to Berlin and then spent four years in Limassol and Nicosia with her Cypriot ex-boyfriend. She’s now been in Armenia for the past six months — where she proudly wears a Star of David necklace — and wants to open an art gallery here.
Karapetyan, who recently spent a semester at the European Institute for Jewish Studies in Sweden, sees a future for liberal Judaism among the newcomers to Armenia.
“Jews here cannot relate to the Orthodox way of life. They like their freedom, and they’re not used to having separate seating for men and women,” he said. Karapetyan said that he has discussed joint projects with Rabbi Gershon Burshteyn, who has led Yerevan’s only synagogue — the Mordechay Navi Jewish Religious Center of Armenia — since 1996.
Trubkin says his Telegram chat has around 600 people.
“Every week, I meet several new people asking about Jewish life in Armenia — people from Russia, from Israel, from Moldova. For some of them, it’s their second round of emigration,” he said, adding that he’s looking to establish a physical presence for Yerevan Jewish Home. “And we’re also establishing a new Armenian-Israeli organization for business and culture.”
The sense of optimism is palpable, even with an undercurrent of concern about the influence that Turkey plays in the region. But if Israel fails — for whatever reason — to formally recognize the Armenian genocide after raising expectations, all bets are off.
“I sincerely hope that the Israeli government will complete this process and that the Knesset will adopt an official resolution recognizing the Armenian genocide,” said former Knesset member Alexander Tsinker, co-chair of the Armenia-Israel Public Forum. “Otherwise, it would be, to put it mildly, unacceptable.”
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Suspect arrested over vandalism at historic Armenian cemetery in Istanbul
ISTANBUL — Turkish authorities have arrested a suspect in connection with the vandalism of six graves and a fountain at the historic Surp Garabed Armenian Cemetery in Istanbul’s Üsküdar district, prosecutors said on Friday.
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said the investigation was launched after the damage was reported on 8 July. Following what it described as an extensive investigation, police identified and detained a suspect, identified only by the initials M.K., on 9 July.
The suspect was referred to a criminal court with a request for pretrial detention and was formally remanded in custody on 10 July. Prosecutors said the investigation is continuing. They have not disclosed a possible motive for the vandalism.
The attack occurred during the night of 7–8 July, when an intruder climbed over the cemetery wall and damaged six gravestones and a fountain, prompting condemnation from the Armenian Patriarchate of Turkey, which described the incident as an attack on the community’s sacred heritage.
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Here’s Why Armenia Can’t Win an Air War Against Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan has devoted far greater resources to a modern drone fleet, while Armenia has largely remained dependent on Soviet-era fighter jets and doctrine—with predictable results.
Today, relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan are at a historic peak. Armenian prime minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev signed a peace agreement at the White House in 2025, and Armenia is now in the process of amending its constitution to abandon its claim to the Nagorno-Karabakh region within Azerbaijan.
It is hard to believe that only six years ago, from September to November 2020, the two nations were locked in a bloody war for control over that territory—a war that killed thousands of soldiers on both sides and led to the depopulation of Nagorno-Karabakh in a campaign that some organizations have characterized as ethnic cleansing. The Second Nagorno-Karabakh War has been better remembered, however, for demonstrating to the world how drones, loitering munitions, and electronic warfare would reshape the modern battlefield—serving in some ways as a dress rehearsal to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine a little more than a year later.
Aided by that drone fleet, Azerbaijan won the 2020 war, and ultimately took full control of Nagorno-Karabakh in 2023. Armenia’s peace deal with Azerbaijan may have been borne out of a recognition that a future air war with Azerbaijan would likely look very different from the classic Cold War air battle. While Armenia still fields a handful of modern combat aircraft and Soviet-era air defenses, Azerbaijan has invested heavily in unmanned systems and precision strike capabilities—creating a significant advantage over Armenia in both force structure and doctrine.
How Do Armenia’s and Azerbaijan’s Air Forces Stack Up?
On paper, Azerbaijan is simply a stronger country than Armenia. Its population is more than three times larger; there are 10.7 million Azerbaijanis against only around 3 million Armenians, giving Baku a larger manpower pool to choose from. Azerbaijan’s GDP is also around two and a half times larger (~$75 million vs. ~$30 million), allowing it to spend more heavily on a small but cutting-edge air force. Finally, Azerbaijan’s foreign relations are better; it has improbably secured friendships with both Turkey and Israel, while Armenia has had a historic falling-out with its main foreign patron, Russia, in the post-Ukraine era.
Today, Azerbaijan’s air force is built around a mixture of conventional aircraft and extensive unmanned capabilities. The hallmark is roughly a dozen upgraded MiG-29 Fulcrums, for air defense and fighter missions, and the Su-25 Frogfoot attack aircraft for close air support.
Yet the most important arrow in Baku’s quiver is its large inventory of unmanned systems. The Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 armed drone provides persistent ISR and precision strike capability while the Israeli Harop loitering munitions and SkyStriker systems add long-range precision attack against high-value targets. Azerbaijan is also moving toward the introduction of the JF-17 Thunder Block III fighter with more modern avionics and multirole capability.
Armenia has a significantly smaller combat aviation force. The most capable aircraft in Yerevan’s inventory is the Su-30SM Flanker-H multirole fighter; however, Armenia has only four of these. While the Su-30 is a capable aircraft, Armenia has struggled to fully exploit its capabilities because of limitations in weapons integration and supporting command-and-control infrastructure. For ground attack, Armenia also has the Su-25 Frogfoot. But overall, Armenia’s combat aviation inventory is considerably smaller than Azerbaijan’s.
Azerbaijan’s Drones Annihilated Armenia in the Last War
From a doctrinal perspective, the two countries are running very different playbooks. Azerbaijan has shifted its warfighting strategy towards drones, precision strike, electronic warfare, persistent ISR, and the suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD), rather than relying on manned aircraft as air forces have historically done. Armenia has remained more dependent on traditional surface-to-air missile systems, fixed radar sites, and legacy Soviet doctrine.
The result is two very different approaches to modern air warfare, and one decidedly in Azerbaijan’s favor. One of the defining features of the 2020 war was the Bayraktar TB2, which Azerbaijan used to conduct surveillance for hours over the battlefield, relay targeting data, and strike armored vehicles, artillery, and logistics targets. Azerbaijan’s Israeli-made Harop loitering munitions also played a crucial SEAD role in that war, searching for emitting radar systems before diving directly onto them. Persistent surveillance makes it difficult for opposing forces to maneuver undetected. Rather than a single large air strike. Azerbaijan can maintain continuous pressure through the battlespace.
Armenia faces significant structural challenges in a rematch. The country’s smaller air force has older supporting infrastructure and a heavy reliance on fixed air-defense systems. Armenia would struggle to replace combat losses quickly. And if its key radar sites were degraded early, Armenia’s overall integrated air defense would become difficult to sustain.
Since the 2020 conflict, Azerbaijan’s investment in Turkish and Israeli defense tech has produced a force designed around continuous surveillance, precision engagement, and distributed unmanned operations—allowing for a shift in power that gives Azerbaijan advantages over Armenia. In a renewed conflict, without outside intervention, Azerbaijan’s combination of conventional fighters, extensive drone fleets, loitering munitions, and modern SEAD tactics would allow for the rapid establishment of air superiority. It is likely fortunate for Armenia, then, that the two sides have mostly decided to bury the hatchet.
Armenia and Azerbaijan: A Comparison
| Country | Armenia | Azerbaijan |
| Population | 2.96 million | 10.69 million |
| GDP | $31.87 billion | $76 billion |
| Number of Aircraft in Air Force | ~70 (fighter jets, training jets, helicopters, transport aircraft) | ~167 (fighter jets, training jets, helicopters, transport aircraft), not including drones |
| Number of Personnel in Air Force (Active Duty) | ~5,000 | ~15,000 |
| Aircraft | Fighter Jets: Su-25 Frogfoot Su-30SM Flanker-H Trainer Aircraft: Aero L-39 (trainer jet) Mil Mi-2 (helicopter) Transport Aircraft: Ilyushin Il-76 Helicopters: Mil Mi-17 Mil Mi-24 Airbus H145 UAVs: Mix of Chinese, American, Russian, and indigenous Armenian UAVs; number unknown |
Fighter Jets: JF-17 Thunder MiG-29 Fulcrum Su-25 Frogfoot Trainer Aircraft: Aero L-39 (trainer jet) MFI-17 Mushshak (trainer turboprop) Mil Mi-2 (helicopter) Transport Aircraft: Boeing 767 Ilyushin Il-76 C-27J Spartan Helicopters: Bell 407 Bell 412 Mil Mi-8 Mil Mi-17 Mil Mi-24 Kamov Ka-27 MD 500 (USA) UAVs: Mix of Turkish and Israeli UAVs; number unknown |
About the Author: Harrison Kass
Harrison Kass is a writer and attorney focused on national security, technology, and political culture. His work has appeared in Tablet, City Journal, The Hill, The Spectator, and The Cipher Brief. He holds a JD from the University of Oregon and a master’s in Global & Joint Program Studies from NYU. More at harrisonkass.com
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Middle power in action. Azerbaijan halts Israel’s recognition of the “Armenian
The draft resolution was aimed at our allies in Ankara, the authorities in Baku are categorical
Jul 11, 2026 18:12103
Svitlana KUSHNAR, political analyst (Ukraine)
Israel has suspended the process of recognizing the “Armenian genocide” amid the risk of worsening relations with its strategic partner Azerbaijan, with which it has long-standing cooperation in sectors such as security, defense and energy. This is the resolution initiated on June 26, 2026 by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) to recognize the “Armenian genocide” during World War I in the Ottoman Empire.
On June 28 of this year, the Israeli government unanimously approved the resolution. In order to complete the procedure, the document had to receive the support of the Knesset, but the sharp reaction of the authorities in Baku thwarted its further progress. Israel’s blocking of the recognition of the “Armenian genocide” became yet another evidence that Azerbaijan has established itself as a middle power. Baku demonstrated that decisions affecting its interests and regional policy cannot be made without taking into account its official position.
Israel’s decision to start the process of recognizing the “Armenian genocide” is a purely political move aimed against Ankara’s interests. Thus, Israel intended to put pressure on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in response to his harsh anti-Israeli rhetoric and accusations of “genocide” in connection with the war in Gaza. However, this initiative directly contradicted the interests of Azerbaijan – Turkey’s closest ally and Israel’s strategic partner.
On June 29, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry sharply condemned the Israeli initiative and defined politicization of the events of 1915 as “unacceptable”. “Such steps do not serve reconciliation, but lead to further deepening of contradictions and hinder efforts to achieve sustainable peace in the region”, says the position of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry. “We call on the Israeli government to reconsider the decision”, also says the position of Baku.
In addition to the authorities in Baku, representatives of the Jewish community in Azerbaijan, as well as a number of politicians and experts in Israel itself, openly declared themselves against the resolution. On June 30, the chief rabbi of the Sephardic community in Baku Zamir Isayev addressed the deputies of the Israeli parties Shas and “United Torah Judaism”. The rabbi called on the parliamentarians to take into account the possible consequences of recognizing the “Armenian genocide“ in bilateral relations: both with Azerbaijan and with the Jewish community in the South Caucasian state. “Azerbaijan is one of Israel’s closest and most loyal friends and serves as an example of a Muslim state that has chosen the path of friendship and respect for the Jewish people for many years,” said Zamir Isaev.
On the same day, the president of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, Prof. Ephraim Inbar, described the recognition of the “genocide” as a “childish and petty mistake” directed against Turkey. The expert warned that it could harm the strategic alliance between Israel and Azerbaijan. “A blow to the Turks should not jeopardize relations with Baku,” said Inbar.
„We ask you, as members of the Knesset and as public leaders in Israel, to listen to the voice of the Jewish community in Azerbaijan”, said the Chief Rabbi of the Ashkenazi Jewish Community in Azerbaijan, Shneur Segal. Also calling on the Israeli parliament to reconsider the recognition of the “Armenian genocide“: “And to do everything possible to prevent this decision from moving forward in the Knesset.“
Former Knesset member and former advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Dr. Elina Bardakh-Yalov, noted on July 1 in an article for The Jerusalem Post that the recognition of the “Armenian genocide“ does not meet the interests of Yerevan itself.
„Armenia is moving closer to normalizing relations with Turkey, and its leadership has made it clear that it does not want the events of 1915 to be used by other countries for their political purposes,” Bardakh-Yalov wrote.
The same position was taken by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. “We see no need to react,” he said at the end of June this year:
“Because we believe that refraining from involvement in the issue of using the Armenian genocide as a political weapon meets the interests of the Republic of Armenia.“
In addition, sources familiar with the details of relations between the two countries told the Israeli publication Ynet on July 6 that Baku viewed this step as “crossing the red line”. Israel “is not responding with the same support that Azerbaijan has been providing since the beginning of the war (in Gaza)”, they explained regarding the position of the Azerbaijani authorities.
As a result, according to unofficial information, Israel has suspended the process of recognizing the “Armenian genocide”. The authorities have taken into account Baku’s firm position and the possible consequences for bilateral relations. “The circle of opponents of this initiative and supporters of Azerbaijan’s position was not limited to one specific group”, the Azerbaijani publication Haqqin wrote on July 9. According to the publication, the topic “covered the entire spectrum of Israeli domestic political life and the state apparatus…” “As a result of the measures taken, the initiative was stopped and practically buried”, the media outlet writes.
This is not the first case in which Baku’s position has influenced the foreign policy decisions of its partners. In 2009, Azerbaijan’s tough reaction became one of the factors that thwarted the ratification of the Zurich Protocols on the normalization of relations between Turkey and Armenia. The reason was that in the documents the normalization of relations between the two countries was practically separated from the issue of the Karabakh conflict.
Under pressure from Baku, Turkey tied the ratification of the protocols to progress in the settlement of the Karabakh conflict. Ultimately, the Turkish parliament did not ratify the documents, the process was frozen, and on March 1, 2018, Armenia officially annulled the protocols.
It is also widely known that Turkey is not opening its border with Armenia. The reason is that it is in coordination with Baku, which is waiting for the conclusion of a full-fledged peace treaty with Yerevan. “Ankara has once again stated its desire to open the eastern border, but only if Armenia signs a peace treaty with Azerbaijan“, the British agency Reuters noted in May 2026.
Today, Baku is noticeably strengthening its position as a middle power and as one of the key factors in the South Caucasus region. The political weight of Azerbaijan and the risk of worsening relations with it have become important factors that influenced Israel’s decision to suspend further progress on the resolution. This episode once again showed that the position of the Azerbaijani authorities can no longer be ignored. Especially when it comes to issues affecting the regional balance and the interests of Baku’s strategic partners.
https://fakti.bg/en/mnenia/1066987-middle-power-in-action-azerbaijan-halts-israel-s-recognition-of-the-armenian-genocide
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Indonesia, Armenia Strengthen Industrial Partnership at INNOPROM 2026
- 11 Jul 2026 22:53 WIB
- Voice of Indonesia
RRI.CO.ID, Russia – Indonesia and Armenia expanded their industrial partnership through a bilateral meeting between Indonesian Minister of Industry, Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita and Armenian Minister of Economy, Gevorg Papoyan on the sidelines of the official opening of INNOPROM 2026 in Yekaterinburg, Russia.
“In 2026, we mark the 34th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Armenia, established on September 22, 1992. This milestone reflects our shared commitment to further strengthening economic and industrial cooperation. I am confident that the partnership built over the past three decades will continue to grow, creating broader opportunities for collaboration and delivering mutual benefits,” Agus said during the bilateral meeting.
In an official statement on Thursday, July 10, 2026, Agus said bilateral cooperation has continued to show positive progress. Total trade between Indonesia and Armenia reached US$26.7 million in 2025, growing by an average of 70.64 percent annually between 2021 and 2025, entirely driven by non-oil and gas trade. Indonesia’s exports to Armenia totaled US$26.2 million in 2025, recording an average annual growth of 83.63 percent.
Indonesia’s main exports to Armenia include coffee, tea, spices, machinery and mechanical equipment, palm oil products, cocoa, soap, rubber, optical fiber, musical instruments, and leather goods. Meanwhile, Indonesia’s relatively limited imports from Armenia are viewed as an opportunity, given Armenia’s comparative advantages in aluminum products, machinery and mechanical equipment, electrical equipment, tobacco, and garments.
The complementary trade structure provides a strong foundation for expanding industrial cooperation, investment, and supply chain development between the two countries.
“Indonesia views Armenia not only as a bilateral partner but also as a strategic gateway to the dynamic CIS region through its membership in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), which adds significant value to future industrial cooperation,” Agus said.
The partnership is further supported by the Indonesia–Eurasian Economic Union Free Trade Agreement (I-EAEU FTA), signed in St. Petersburg on December 21, 2025. The agreement provides preferential tariff access for more than 85 percent of traded goods across the Eurasian market of nearly 180 million people.
As part of efforts to strengthen industrial cooperation, Indonesia’s Ministry of Industry has submitted a draft Memorandum of Understanding on Industrial Cooperation to the Armenian government through diplomatic channels. The proposed MoU covers cooperation in technical standards and industrial regulations, business partnerships, technology transfer, industrial supply chain integration, joint business forums, industrial estate development, and human resource capacity building.
The ministry expressed hope that Armenia would respond positively so that negotiations on the agreement could begin soon.
The meeting with Armenia was one of several bilateral meetings held by the Indonesian minister on the first day of INNOPROM 2026. The exhibition features nearly 900 exhibitors from more than 50 countries across 50,000 square meters, making it the largest industrial exhibition in the Eurasian region.
For Indonesia, participating as the Partner Country at INNOPROM 2026 is a strategic opportunity to strengthen the country’s industrial presence in Eurasia, attract investment and technology transfer, and establish new industrial partnerships, including with Armenia.
The Ministry of Industry hopes the proposed MoU and the discussions on potential cooperation will be followed up through official channels to deliver tangible benefits for the industrial development of both countries.
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Why you should absolutely choose Armenia for your next big trip
July 11, 2026
Travel
Why you should absolutely choose Armenia for your next big trip
A country that has been overlooked for very long is finally seeing its moment in the sun.
Jul 11, 2026 3:07 PM EDT
By Veronika Bondarenko
Hungarian low-cost airline Wizz Air made one of the year’s biggest commitments to Armenia by launching two new routes to Zvartnots International Airport (EVN) in Yerevan from London and the Greek island of Rhodes at the start of the summer while also choosing the Armenian capital for its annual Let’s Get Lost campaign in which travelers won a chance to board a plane for a trip to an unknown mystery destination.
Often called the crossroads of West and East due to its location between Eastern Europe and Western Asia, Armenia is known for many things that will be attractive for all kinds of different travelers: an ancient history (Yerevan’s founding in 783 BC predates Rome while, in 301 AD, the country became the first nation in the world to adopt Christianity), a remarkable natural landscape that stuns in the diversity of going from semidesert to mountain forest to alpine, and a bustling modern capital full of stylish cafes and winding streets to spends days getting lost.
The Yerevan Cascade is a Soviet-era monument leading up to panoramic views of the city from above and holding a modern art museum on the inside.
Getty
Yerevan is a trending travel destination: what to see, do and eat
Particularly unique experiences include a stay at the Tufenkian Historic Yerevan Hotel, where both the main space and each room is adorned with the intricate hand-woven carpets for which Armenia is also known, and a wander both above and inside the Cascade Complex: a multi-level staircase structure in the Soviet Monumentalist style that takes climbers through multiple levels of terraces, waterfalls and flower beds for a panoramic view of the city and the towering Mount Ararat at the top.
Inside, the Cafesjian Center for the Arts puts on both rotating and permanent exhibits highlighting both ancient and modern Armenian culture. By riding the escalators between the exhibition halls on each level, visitors will also see a range of colorful modern sculptures.
A low-cost airline is going all in on this travel destination
A once-overlooked travel destination is now easier to reach than ever.
Veronika Bondarenko
Armenian cuisine, which despite the country being landlocked feels Mediterranean due to the dominance of fresh herbs and signature lavash bread, can be experienced in modern iterations at the Lavash Restaurant and Urban Gastro Wine Bar in Yerevan.
The MOV Restaurant that opened in 2021 in a 19th-century building that once housed the city’s parliament, also just might be the best place to try Armenia’s signature tolma stuffed grape leaf dish in both classic and creative iterations such as kimchi and shrimp.
The Bar Phoenix is the flagship bar for the famous Armenian brandy ArArAt both through flights and 12 cocktails that give a spirit brand that has been produced since 1887 various modern twists.
Yerevan is often the entry point and gateway to further travels through Armenia.
Getty
Staying for longer? Put these Armenian cities and destinations on your travel list
Yerevan is also known for an endless stream of festivals taking place throughout the year: Wine Days in June, Golden Apricot International Film Festival in July as well as the Vardavar summer festival meant to mark the Christian Feast of the Transfiguration 98 days following Easter in which people all over the city splash each other with water throughout the day and one can get soaked at any (and what will almost surely be many!) time of day.
While the abundance of things to do in Yerevan means that first-time visitors to Armenia usually stay only in the capital, other must-visit destinations include the mountain spa town of Dilijan in the northern Tavush province and the Tatev, Khor Virap and Noravank monasteries spread throughout completely different landscapes but all offering a glimpse into how Christianity shaped centuries of Armenian history.
Lake Sevan, a massive high-altitude freshwater lake that is one of the largest in Eurasia with a width of 480 square miles and depth of nearly 80 meters, is located an hour’s drive from Yerevan and with its crystalline water is the source of endless legends and spiritual significance to Armenians.
One can visit the area both as a day trip to eat at one of the countless roadside seafood restaurants overlooking the lake — Yasaman’s is particularly well-recognized internationally for specialties like crayfish kebab and whitefish cooked over an open fire — or through a stay at spa hotels such as the Best Western Bohemian Resort, the Tufenkian Avan Marak Tsapatagh Hotel or the Comuna Sevan for beach glamping.
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Unbeaten hosts Armenia set up Final showdown with Malta
The two teams will battle for the title on Sunday.
YEREVAN (Armenia) – Armenia kept their unbeaten record intact to reach the FIBA U16 EuroBasket 2026, Division C Final, where they will meet Malta with the title on the line.
The hosts defeated Moldova 82-66 after pulling away in the fourth quarter, but were made to work hard after surrendering a 12-point first-half lead. Moldova responded with a 21-8 third quarter to briefly move in front before the hosts answered with a dominant 30-13 final period.
Anthony Sarkesian starred with 26 points and 26 rebounds, while Dmitri Hajyan added 17 points. Mihail Petrov also filled the stat sheet with 11 points, 15 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals to help Armenia pull away late.
Moldova were led by Timur Braghis with 20 points and 9 rebounds, and threatened an upset after taking a 53-52 lead late in the third quarter.
Armenia are now one win away from reclaiming the Division C title after last lifting the trophy in 2017, and will look to complete an unbeaten run when they face Malta in Sunday’s Final.
Malta defeated previously unbeaten Kosovo 113-110 after surviving a dramatic fourth-quarter comeback to reach the Final. After leading by as many as 18 points, Malta saw Kosovo storm back to briefly move ahead before responding in the last minute to secure the victory.
Beau Samuel Kisvarda led the way with 32 points, 15 rebounds, 8 assists and 5 steals, while Zac Said Hollier added 30 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 steals, including a crucial three-pointer and layup in the closing stages.
Orik Istrefi finished with 31 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists and 6 steals for Kosovo, who produced a remarkable fightback after trailing by 18 points late in the second half.
The previously unbeaten side had chances to force overtime, but missed two crucial free throws with 14.4 seconds remaining before Malta sealed the win.
Final:
Armenia vs Malta
Third-Place Game:
Moldova vs Kosovo
FIBA
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NYC construction boss harasses female workers, referred to penis as ‘Armenian
What a meathead.
The founder of NYC construction materials testing and inspection company allegedly made perverted and racist comments to female staffers, asking one if she’d ever had “Armenian sausage,” according to a federal lawsuit.
Two female ex-employees at Long Island City-based Twin Peaks claim Jerry Agajian subjected them to unrelenting harassment until they were unfairly fired in April, they allege in the suit file Monday.
There was no escape from Agajian’s crude advances — as he would share “vulgar” details of his sex life and all the women he wanted to “bang,” the women said in the suit.
He referred to one of his victims, Ling Wang, a woman of Asian descent, as his “Chinese b–ch,” “chopsticks” and “kung fu” and the other, Karen Delara, who is of Dominican descent, as his “Dominican b–ch” and “machete girl,” the suit said.
Agajian, 73, would also make comments about wanting to have sex with both women — in and outside the office. They reluctantly agreed to meals with him out of fear for their jobs, they said in the lawsuit. Oftentimes, he became belligerently drunk, they added in the suit.
But they were in the office when Agajian approached Delara at her desk in February, looked down at his crotch and asked if she “ever tried Armenian sausage.”
The women were abruptly axed on April 1 after they declined to meet him for dinner the night before, according to the suit.
He allegedly fired them the next day and told the entire office it was because they didn’t go out to eat with him.
The women are suing for unspecified damages and are demanding reinstatement.
Agajian, Twin Peaks and attorneys for the victims did not immediately return requests for comment.
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