June: 1, 2026
During the press conference of RA Defense Minister Suren Papikyan on January 13 of this year 168.amthe asked a question: will it be possible to use the Su-30SMs in their full capacity one day, to which he said:
“We have enough certain weapons for the Su-30SMs, but additions are also expected. The Su-30SMs are pretty good fighters, I appreciate their role very much. And I think that they can play a big role both in air defense and territorial integrity of our country.”
At the same time, Suren Papikyan offered to refrain from information on whether the number of fighter jets can be increased, as it was agreed at the time that the armed forces should have 8-12 units of Su-30, but only 4 were acquired.
It should be noted that the Su-30s are to be purchased the idea Former Minister of Defense of the Republic of Armenia Davit Tonoyan and former Chief of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia Artak Davtyan were initially not greeted by the Chairman of the Standing Committee on Defense and Security of the National Assembly Andranik Kocharyan, and immediately after the end of the 44-day period, he raised questions related to its application to the war.
But even in this case, how? 168.am wrote, Andranik Kocharyan has decided Attach to the 44-day report his several-page letter-analysis related to the Su-30s, which he presented to Pashinyan, and which was also mentioned in the investigative commission during Pashinyan’s interrogation.
Anyway, during the military parade-debrief held on May 28 in Republic Square had made flights Su-30s, which were also followed by international experts and made certain records.
In particular, both Military Watch Magazine (MWM) and OSINT analysts (intelligence based on open sources) Iranian “Yasin” planing aerial bombs were noticed under the wings of the Su-30s in the arsenal of the RA Armed Forces.
By: open data, The Yasin high-precision bomb with a planning and correction module weighs 300 kilograms, the mass of the warhead is 225 kilograms, and it belongs to the MK-82 class.
The aerial bomb is designed for hitting stationary targets using GPS satellite navigation and inertial navigation systems.
According to available information, the range of the bomb under standard conditions is 50-60 kilometers, and in case of release or throwing from the optimal height, it can reach up to 120 kilometers.
Of course, experts also noticed Iranian-made “Majid AD-08” air defense systems at the May 28 military parade. Naturally, such information cannot be officially confirmed or denied for objective reasons, and we can only rely on professional opinions and some episodes.
In February, with the caption “Military-political and military footnotes of Suren Papikyan’s visit to Iran”. article: we published, where we did not exclude such possibilities, taking into account some episodes in the context of the visit.
Returning to Andranik Kocharyan’s point of view regarding the purchase of Su-30s, let us add that on April 15, 2025, in the National Assembly, NA Speaker Alen Simonyan, referring to what they did and did not do in the army and criticisms of the opposition, in particular, had announced.
“… Or, you say you brought Sue, so maybe we just sat down, opened the menu and looked at what to take?” Your military gave advice, the military gives advice, they say: we need this or that.”
In other words, one of the key figures of the government who did political PR with Su-erov for their acquisition “sin” had tried to cast on the military and consider them not their own when they were working in their government at the time.
And now, when the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Armenia, representing the ruling power, highly appreciates the role of these fighter jets and has even thought about the “additions” intended for them, to whom is the current leadership of the country, including Alen Simonyan, grateful for the military parade? To the soldiers who worked during the previous years, or to Nikol Pashinyan, who is far from military affairs? I also wonder if the opposition forces that have criticized the Su for its lack of missiles, if they are convinced that the existing “add-ons” will allow it to be used to its full potential, will change their opinion regarding these fighters.
—
Armenian Opposition Leaders Blame Pashinian For Russian Import Bans
Opposition leaders running in Armenia’s June 7 parliamentary elections have blamed Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian for Russia’s widening bans on the import of Armenian goods and warned of their devastating impact on the domestic economy.
“If this government miraculously stays in power, Armenia’s economy will be plunged into a deep crisis,” former President Robert Kocharian said during an election campaign rally in central Yerevan on Sunday. “And what for? For the sake of one person who wants to cling to power.”
“I honestly don’t know why they are artificially turning us into an enemy of Russia,” he told thousands of supporters of his Hayastan alliance. “They are taking us down the destructive path of Ukraine. We don’t need that, my dear people. What we need is allied relations with Russia and very good relations with both Europe and the United States.”
Gagik Tsarukian, the leader of the opposition Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK), likewise expressed concern over the economic impact of the Russian bans as he campaigned in the northern Lori province at the weekend.
“Why are we feuding with Russia?” Tsarukian said. “Do we have better options? People go there for work, people export goods, and every month $160 million in remittances comes from Russia.”
“You’ve heard the Russian president’s speech,” he added, alluding to Vladimir Putin’s latest warning that the Armenian government must choose between striving to join the European Union and remaining part of a Russian-led trade bloc that gives Armenia tariff-free access to Russia’s market and a significant discount on the price of Russian natural gas.
Levon Zurabian, the top election candidate of former President Levon Ter-Petrosian’s Armenian National Congress (HAK) party, spoke on Monday of an “impending energy and economic collapse” in the country. He claimed that Pashinian has “dragged us into a proxy war between the West and Russia and Iran.”
Russia is Armenia’s leading commercial partner, having accounted for 36 percent of its foreign trade last year. Armenian farmers, agribusiness firms and alcohol producers are particularly dependent on the Russian market. Nevertheless, Pashinian insisted last Thursday that the Russian sanctions do not pose “any threat to Armenia’s developing economy.”
Pashinian’s three main election challengers — Hayastan, the BHK and Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetian’s Strong Armenia bloc — have pledged to repair Russian-Armenian relations if they win the elections. The Armenian premier has repeatedly branded them Russian “agents” and “spies” on the campaign trail.
—
Pashinyan considered the EU referendum premature and talked about the new relationship with Russia
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced the inexpediency of holding a referendum on EU membership, stressing the importance of continuing work within EAEU and maintaining a smooth foreign policy balance.
According to the chief executive, until the country makes a formal bid or is very close to candidate status, such a vote is only theoretical, so the government will continue to work quietly within the Union, where there is still untapped potential.
In his video message, the head of the government compared the model of balance in international relations with cosmic gravity, stressing that drastic steps and the disproportion of scales can lead to catastrophic consequences. According to him, the formation and restoration of the new balance should take place as smoothly as possible, so that the process remains exclusively manageable and keeps the state free from shocks.
Referring to the interaction with Moscow, Pashinyan described the current transformation phase of bilateral relations positively, calling them open and sincere, without any dark corners.
In the context of economic security, he explained that independence implies the diversification of dependencies, when dependence on a few sources is replaced by connections with many partners, which reduces possible risks and allows bargaining on more favorable terms.
According to this logic, in recent years, Armenia has established diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, as well as actively working towards the normalization of relations with Turkey and Azerbaijan, which is not a whim, but a necessity for the vital activity of the state.
Discussions about Yerevan’s geopolitical vector intensified after the leaders of the four countries of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU): Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan made a joint statement based on the results of the Astana summit.
In the document, they called on Armenia to hold a nationwide referendum as soon as possible to make a final choice between joining the European Union or remaining within the EAEU. This admonition followed the adoption of the bill on European integration by the RA government at the beginning of 2025, which, according to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, did not imply direct membership and required a mandatory referendum in the future.
Against the background of these developments, the economic relations between Yerevan and Moscow have sharply worsened. The Russian side officially warned the leadership of Armenia about the possibility of suspending or canceling cooperation agreements in the field of natural gas and oil products supply, if Yerevan continues the process of joining the European Union.
In addition, Moscow has already restricted the import of a number of key products of Armenian production, including agricultural products, flowers and alcohol, which has caused significant economic pressure for the republic at the stage of choosing a strategic foreign policy course.
—
Սամվել Կարապետյանի աջակցությունը բանակին եղել է էական և ծավալուն. Դավիթ Տոնոյ
ՀՀ պաշտպանության նախկին նախարար Դավիթ Տոնոյանը հերքել է իշխող քաղաքական թիմի ներկայացուցիչների պնդումները, թե հայտնի գործարար Սամվել Կարապետյանը 44-օրյա պատերազմի ընթացքում սահմանափակվել է միայն խաղաղության կոչերով՝ ընդգծելով նրա բազմակողմանի և զգալի ներդրումը զինված ուժերին։
Տոնոյանը պարզաբանել է, որ ռազմական գործողությունների ժամանակ բանակին ցուցաբերված օգնության կոնկրետ մանրամասները հանդիսանում են պետական և ծառայողական գաղտնիք, ինչի պատճառով հնարավոր չէ հանրայնացնել հստակ տվյալներ։ Այդուհանդերձ, նախկին նախարարը վստահեցրել է, որ «Տաշիր» ընկերությունների խմբի նախագահի աջակցությունը եղել է ծավալուն և համապարփակ։
Նա հավելել է, որ այս գործընթացը սկսվել է դեռևս մինչև 2018 թվականի իշխանափոխությունը և շարունակվել մինչև մարտական գործողությունների ավարտը, իսկ տրամադրված օգնության ողջ ծավալը պաշտոնապես արձանագրված է պաշտպանական գերատեսչության համապատասխան փաստաթղթերում։
Անդրադառնալով այն հարցին, թե արդյոք Կարապետյանն ամբողջությամբ հոգացել է պատերազմի օրերին բանակի սննդի ապահովման ծախսերը, Տոնոյանը նշել է, որ նման ձևակերպումը կլիներ կիսաճշմարտություն։
Նա բացատրել է, որ պատերազմական շրջանում զինված ուժերի օրական ծախսերը տատանվել են 3-ից մինչև 30 միլիոն դոլարի սահմաններում, և նվիրատուների տրամադրած ֆինանսական միջոցներն ու ռեսուրսները ուղղվել են տարբեր հրատապ գնումների և կազմակերպչական խնդիրների լուծմանը։ Պաշտպանության նախկին նախարարը շեշտել է, որ բարձր գնահատանքի է արժանի բոլոր անհատների և կազմակերպությունների ներդրումը, և հայտնել, որ Սամվել Կարապետյանի հետ որոշակի հարցերի շուրջ բանակցություններն անձամբ է վարել։
—
168: Eight years have passed. You have ruined and destroyed many achievements of the past
June: 1, 2026
Artak Zakaryan writes: In fact, without referring to the Republican Party, there are no issues on the agenda in the country, no debates, no talk about the past, present and future.
People who have not benefited the country except for huge, catastrophic damages, reserve the right to pointlessly mention the passing of the years of the Republican government.
The Republican Party, which built a state with victories and national dignity: two Armenian states, a guaranteed security system, well-established state institutions, Armenia-Artsakh-Diaspora trinity, left you a sovereign and reliable state for the outside world.
Eight years have passed. You have ruined and destroyed many achievements and cherished values of the past. To a greater or lesser extent, many “political forces” have also participated in it, based on their mercantile interests.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Leave the Republican alone, especially since we don’t participate in elections and we don’t have the opportunity to answer your slanders face to face in debates.
These elections are fatal elections for our country and people. Noises and apolitical debates have zero value.
The way out of the situation is in the vote on June 7, in favor of the main opposition forces.
—
RFE/RL – Armenian Fruit Imports Also Banned By Russia
Russia banned more imports from Armenia on Monday, imposing “temporary restrictions” on the sale of Armenian fruits just days before the country’s crucial parliamentary elections.
As was the case with other food products essentially banned by it late last month, the Russian agricultural watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor claimed that many of them do not meet phytosanitary requirements of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) because of what it called poor oversight by Armenian authorities.
The government agency said that the measure, effective from Tuesday, applies to grapes and stone fruits such as apricots, cherries and peaches. It comes just before the start of apricot and cherry harvesting period in Armenia. Russia has long been a key market for these crops grown by tens of thousands of Armenian farmers.
Many others grow vegetables that have also been exported to Russia in large quantities for many years. Rosselkhoznadzor blocked their imports late week, saying that it has found dangerous “quarantined objects” in many Armenian tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and greens. Imports of Armenian cut flowers and mineral water were halted earlier in May.
The punitive measures highlight a further deterioration of Russian-Armenian relations that followed the holding of two European summits in Yerevan in early May. Moscow has since been pressuring the Armenian government to choose between continuing to seek membership of the European Union and remaining part of the EEU, a Russian-led trade that guarantees Armenian exporters’ tariff-free access to the Russian market.
On Friday, EEU member Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan joined Russia in telling Yerevan to make such a choice through a referendum “as soon as possible.” They also implicitly threatened to suspend Armenia’s membership in the bloc. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian dismissed the demand.
Moscow is ramping up the pressure on Yerevan ahead of the June 7 elections in which Pashinian’s Civil Contract party is challenged by opposition groups pledging to repair Russian-Armenian relations.
According to Armenian government data, Russia accounted for 35.8 percent of Armenia’s foreign trade last year, followed by China (12.3 percent) and the EU (11.7 percent). Armenian exports to Russia totaled almost $3 billion in 2025, compared with $667 million worth of goods exported by Armenian firms to EU member states.
The EU condemned the Russian pressure on Monday. It accused Moscow of trying to “hurt Armenia’s economy” and “influence the outcome” of Sunday’s elections.
“We will continue supporting Armenia to handle such attempts of coercion,” EU spokesman Anouar El Anouni said, according to the AFP news agency.
The EU itself was accused by Russia as well as the Armenian opposition of election meddling after deciding earlier this year to send a “hybrid rapid response team” to Yerevan for the ballot. The deployment was requested by Pashinian’s government.
—
Pashinian Still Reluctant To Choose Between EU, Russian-Led Bloc
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian on Monday rejected Russian-led calls for Armenia to finally decide whether to remain part of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) or continue seeking membership of the European Union.
Following two European summits hosted by the Armenian government in early May, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Yerevan should make such a choice “as soon as possible.” The leaders of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan backed this stance during an EEU summit in Astana on Friday boycotted by Pashinian. In a joint statement with Putin, they called for an Armenian referendum on the issue.
“Until Armenia officially applies for membership in the European Union or is very close to the status of candidate for EU membership, holding any referendum is illogical,” countered Pashinian.
“Today that choice is theoretical, and putting a theoretical choice on a referendum is not quite sensible, correct and well-founded,” he said.
Armenia, he said, will remain a member of the Russian-led trade bloc “until the moment when choosing between the European Union and the Eurasian Economic Union is inevitable.” He again refused to set any time frames.
Pashinian’s government enacted last year a law calling for the “start of a process of Armenia’s accession to the European Union.” Its domestic critics denounced the move as reckless, saying that the EU will not admit the South Caucasus in the foreseeable future. No EU member state or institution has voiced explicit support for such a prospect so far.
In their statement, Putin and the other EEU leaders implicitly warned of a possible suspension of Armenia’s membership in the Russian-led bloc vital for the Armenian economy. They said their prime ministers will present “possible consequences” of such a development at the next EEU summit in December.
Pashinian has stressed in recent weeks that Armenia cannot be kicked out of the EEU without its consent. Opposition groups challenging him in the June 7 parliamentary elections say that even if Pashinian vetoes its exit, Russia will still be in a position to impose crippling economic sanctions on Yerevan. Citing sanitary grounds, Moscow has already banned or seriously restricted the import of some Armenian products in the last ten days.
Putin warned of more economic measures against Armenia when he spoke to journalists in Astana. And he again emphasized the fact that the country is heavily dependent on Russia for trade and energy.
“While moving toward the European Union, which is Armenia’s absolute sovereign right, Armenia cannot and should not do so at the expense of EEU countries,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said for his part. “It must do so at its own expense.”
The Russian Foreign Ministry announced on Saturday that Russia’s ambassador in Yerevan, Sergei Kopyrkin, has been recalled to Moscow for “consultations in connection with the Armenian leadership’s steps to move closer to the European Union which are detrimental to cooperation within the EEU.”
Despite the recall, Putin phoned Pashinian on Monday to congratulate him on his 51st birthday anniversary. They also discussed the “results” of the EEU summit in the Kazakh capital, according to the Kremlin’s short readout of the call.
Pashinian’s office said, for its part, that the two leaders spoke about “current issues on the bilateral and multilateral agenda.” It said Pashinian thanked Putin for his “balanced positions, friendly tone as well as support on a number of issues that give rise to misunderstandings.”
—
RFE/RL – Prosecutors Refuse To Probe Pashinian’s Threats Against Opposition L
- Naira Bulghadarian
Law-enforcement authorities have refused to launch a criminal investigation into Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s pledge to “take out” Armenia’s top opposition leaders and his insults and threats addressed to refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh.
Campaigning for the upcoming parliamentary elections in Yerevan on May 18, Pashinian repeatedly lost his temper after being confronted by disgruntled citizens. They included the sister of a senior military medic who went missing during the 2020 war in Karabakh. The woman blamed Pashinian for her loss and accused him of having “stolen my fatherland.” He responded by linking her to the three main opposition election contenders and pledging to “bring on their knees” and “take out” their leaders.
Pashinian also lashed out at a Yerevan-based Karabakh activist, Artur Osipian, who asked him questions and criticized his policies on Karabakh. He shouted insults and threats directed at “Karabakh pseudo-elites,” saying that they “should have died” during the wars with Azerbaijan.
Right after the incident, Osipian was arrested on charges of disrupting public order and obstructing the ruling Civil Contract’s election campaign. He has been on hunger strike in a Yerevan prison for almost two weeks.
Opposition groups and other critics say that Pashinian himself should have been prosecuted for his behavior. Aram Vartevanian, a senior representative of the main opposition Strong Armenia bloc, petitioned Prosecutor-General Anna Vartapetian on May 21 to order a formal inquiry into public calls for violence and hate speech. Vartapetian’s office forwarded the demand to another law-enforcement agency, the Investigative Committee.
The committee said on Monday that it has refused to open such a criminal case. It gave no reason for the decision approved by a prosecutor.
Pashinian continued to attack and threaten his three main election challengers even after an uproar caused by his outbursts. He said that former President Robert Kocharian, Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetian and another wealthy businessman, Gagik Tsarukian, will go to jail if he wins the June 7 elections. Representatives of the three opposition leaders have portrayed this as further proof that law-enforcement agencies and courts act on Pashinian’s orders.
—
Turkish Press: Pashinyan says Armenia to achieve goal of normalizing relations
—
Armen Pogossian Represents Armenia at Forbes Under 30 Summit China, Empowering
June 1 2026
Armen Pogossian Represents Armenia at Forbes Under 30 Summit China, Empowering the Next Generation of Global Entrepreneurs
By PR Newswire
Post-meeting dialogue with Armen Pogossian, Owner Pogossian Luxury Brand House
Pogossian was invited to participate in the 2024-2025 Forbes 30 Under 30 Summit China, held at Zhengzhou Sias University in Henan Province alongside the 2026 Forbes China Economic Forum. His presence at the prestigious gathering highlighted not only his growing international profile, but also Armenia’s expanding voice in global entrepreneurship, luxury branding, and cross-border collaboration.
Held under the forward-looking theme “Jumpstarting the Future,” the two-day summit brought together an influential community of past and present Forbes China Under 30 honorees, global financial and business leaders, visionary investors, industry judges, academic pioneers, and senior Forbes China executives.
The summit opened with an exclusive welcome reception in the French Garden of Zhengzhou Sias University, where remarks were delivered by Herman Chik, Head of International Business at Forbes China, and Niu Xiaoyu, Party Secretary of Zhengzhou Sias University. The setting created a powerful atmosphere for dialogue, innovation, and connection among the next generation of leaders.
As part of the summit’s high-level dialogue, Armen Pogossian shared his perspective on the role of young entrepreneurs in shaping the future of global business.
“Future entrepreneurs do not simply follow trends; they create them in an ever-changing market. Bringing together individuals who share this vision of excellence makes transformative change inevitable. My experience at the Forbes Under 30 Summit proved that by exchanging ideas, embracing innovation, and remaining open to borderless collaboration, we can begin to see and shape a part of the future before it even arrives.”
Throughout the summit, Pogossian engaged with leading entrepreneurs, innovators, investors, and business figures from across China and beyond. His participation reflected a broader mission: to connect Armenian excellence with international platforms that recognize talent, ambition, and future-focused leadership.
The summit’s main program featured five keynote speeches and three specialized roundtable forums, covering topics including AI-powered smart hardware, domestic computing power ecosystems, new consumer brand logic, and embodied intelligent robotics.
A major highlight of the event was the highly anticipated Under 30 Awards Gala, where honorees from the 2024 and 2025 Forbes China Under 30 lists were celebrated. The evening spotlighted the diversity, ambition, and vision driving China’s newest generation of business leaders.
During the summit, the elegantly designed Jardins d’Arménie booth attracted notable attention from guests, offering an immersive tasting experience that introduced attendees to the distinctive character and heritage of the royal brandy. The activation further strengthened Armenia’s cultural and luxury presence within the Forbes Under 30 environment.
Pogossian Luxury Brand House supported the successful execution of the summit alongside a prestigious group of corporate partners, including iSoftStone, Plug and Play China, Dreame AI Smart Ring, and MarcumAsia.
Armen Pogossian is the 27 year old owner of Pogossian Luxury Brand House, one of the fastest growing international luxury groups built on a family legacy of craftsmanship, creativity, and excellence. Representing a new generation of Armenian entrepreneurs, Pogossian continues to expand the presence of innovative luxury across global markets.
Since the early 1990s, the Pogossian family has been creating exceptional luxury products rooted in craftsmanship and refinement. Based in Armenia and present in more than 40 countries, Pogossian Luxury Brand House embodies a vision of creativity, excellence, and immersive brand experiences designed for an international clientele.
—