Armenian intelligence officer on Azerbaijani army's operation: "How not to worry when enemy monitors your route..."

There is a remarkable interview in the Armenian weekly 'Iravunk,' in which the founder and commander of the special reconnaissance-subversive detachment, Vova Vartanov, expressed concern about the advance of the Azerbaijani army in neutral territory in Nakhchivan. The operation carried out by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces is a significant threat for Armenia. "How not to worry, when the enemy monitors your route, which is one of the veins feeding Zangezur, Vayk, Artsakh and, one might say, which is the only one in this direction?" Vardanyan says. We present our readers with translated excerpts from the interview published in the Armenian blogosphere without any changes.

- Mr. Vartanov, it remained unclear for the society what the situation has been on the Nakhijevan border, since the Defense Ministry took some experts to get acquainted with the situation on the spot, and they started to refute everything, saying that there's no cause for concern. But no serious military expert has denied the fact that there is worrying movement on the part of the enemy.

- That is why they did not invite me, because they know: I will put it straight. Yes, the situation is alarming, and 100% worrying, but only fools fall into panic. If we are normal sane people, or at least think so, we need to start working hard, because there's a lot of work to do. Isn't the fact that they have improved their positions, moving forward, alarming? Earlier, if our watchmen saw the Turk through binoculars, from a distance, now we can catapult each other. At the same time, they reached the distance from which they can monitor the Yerevan-Meghri route and can direct their artillery there without getting drones in the air. As a result, troops moving along the route, arms and ammunition may come under fire when adjusting fire targets from the ground. If it's not alarming, then what is?

- How many neutral territories have come under the control of Azerbaijan as a result of the movement of Azerbaijani military outposts?

- Near the village of Areni ... how should I say it to avoid panic? There is no cause for concern if the situation is so calm. Sometimes we kill each other: sometimes they kill one of our guys, sometimes we send their asker to the skies. But in the future, if one day large-scale actions begin, how not to worry, when the enemy monitors your route, which is one of the veins feeding Zangezur, Vayk, Artsakh and, one might say, which is the only one in this direction?

- To this day it is constantly stressed that 800 hectares of land were lost because of the former authorities. Perhaps, after a while it will turn out that we recently surrendered several hundred hectares on the border with Nakhijevan, but it was not made public?

- At that time, referring to these 800 hectares, I said: it's an amateurish, erroneous approach. Back then, the Turk took 20-30 hectares, not 800, but those 800 hectares turned out to be under its sight and beyond our sight. That is, they occupied the territory on which they sit. But this story is slightly different, and hectares are not the issue here. The enemy entered the territory from which he controls our route. And if digging up a 3-meter bank of earth in Yeraskhavan, you do not allow them to see the car on the road, ensuring the appropriate target accuracy, then here the bank should be several dozen or even hundreds of meters high. Which is impossible. It turns out that you have to look for other ways: either bypass this site, or destroy this enemy position in any case.

- Who is to blame for such a situation on the Nakhijevan border, where it seemed that we secured the greatest advantage possible?

- Definitely the Ministry of Defense is to blame. Those entrusted with this case is responsible. I do not know why, but Ministry of Defense was passive about the construction work of the Turks and the gradual preparation of these trenches. Since 2016, the Defense Ministry has always been attentive, but this time it turned out to be inattentive for some reason. Find the answer yourself.