Head of Moldovan General Staff dismissed for arms deal with Armenia

Acting Moldovan President Marian Lupu has dismissed General Yuri Dominich, head of the General Staff, to improve discipline and prevent violations of the military laws, APA reports.

The real reason for the dismissal is an arms deal with Armenia. Moldova fears that the recent scandal could be a problem for cooperating with Azerbaijan and the GUAM.

Defense Minister Vitaly Marinuya confirmed the arms deal, which includes artillery and AT equipment. Weapons were shipped from Kishinev to Yerevan via an Il-76.

Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov said that sales of arms to Armenia for offensive purposes are a big mistake.

Vestnik Kavkaza reported earlier that an Il-76 from Libya landed at the airport of Kishinev on September 12. It then headed to the airfield of Merkuleshty to pick up cargo from a Latvian company registered in Riga. 60 tons of weapons were sold on September. Two Libyan planes transport weapons on September 13 and 14. Head of the press-service of the Defense Ministry Alexander Zhosan said that the cargo consisted of artillery and anti-missile systems.

Vice-Premier and Minister of the Economy Valery Lazer said that Armenian air authorities denied the allegations. The press secretary of the Armenian Administration of Civil Aviation said that the Libya-Moldova flight with weapons never happened.

The plane flew from Benghazi to Kishinev three days after Prime Minister Vladimir Filat’s visit to Germany for a visit with the president of Trans-Dniester, Igor Smirnov.