Euronews on fate of Russian military base in Armenia
Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR) says Russia is increasing and reinforcing its military presence in Armenia, a claim that was immediately denied by Yerevan. Days later, HUR published a document which it said was an “order from the commander of the troops of the Southern Military District of the Russian Armed Forces on the ‘replenishment’ of the Russian military base in Armenia,” Euronews writes.
The released document instructs commanders to facilitate the selection process. It outlines specific criteria for professional fitness, psychological resilience, and combat readiness.
The order explicitly bans the recruitment of individuals involved in drug trafficking or the distribution of psychotropic substances. The publication states that Gyumri is the second largest city in Armenia, with the population of over 100,000. Situated around 100km northwest of the capital Yerevan, it sits strategically just 3.5km away from the border with Turkey, Azerbaijan’s closest ally.
As noted, Armenia and Russia established the 102nd Military Base there in the 1990s with the idea that Russian soldiers would be able to protect the border with Turkey, but also to quickly deploy to the Karabakh region in case of Azerbaijani military movement. It did not happen this way in 2023, when Baku reclaimed full control of the Karabakh region after a lightning military campaign. In 2024, in an unprecedented development, Armenia put a freeze on its participation in the Kremlin-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). The 102nd military base in Gyumri is the largest Russian military facility in the South Caucasus. It hosts up to 5,000 personnel. The base includes MiG-29 fighter jets and S-300 air defense systems. “But as Armenia is now pushing to normalize relations with Azerbaijan and Turkey, the Russian base is being seen as no longer serving Yerevan’s interests,” the publication notes. With unprecedented escalation between Azerbaijan and Russia, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he would support Armenia’s peace efforts with Azerbaijan.
