Russia expands its military base in Armenia
Two fortified areas of the Russian 102nd military base have been established in the Syunik region, in the south of Armenia, said Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
"This is an additional guarantee to ensure the security not only of the Syunik region, but also of Armenia," he said. According to Pashinyan, the Armenian-Russian joint grouping of troops is defending all the borders of the republic.
The Syunik region borders, among other things, with the areas of Nagorno-Karabakh, which were captured by the Azerbaijani army during the armed conflict late last year. Pashinyan said in early April that Armenia is negotiating with Russia on establishing a new fortified area of the Russian base. At the time, he called the military alliance between Moscow and Yerevan "the linchpin for ensuring Armenia's external security."
A few days earlier, Pashinyan met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin. They discussed the normalization of the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh. Pashinyan called the presence of Russian peacekeepers in the region "the most important factor of stability and security."
The 102nd military base consists of several garrisons stationed in Gyumri and Yerevan. The number of personnel is about 4,000 people. It is equipped with S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems, MiG-29 fighter jets, Mi-24P and Mi-8MT helicopters.