Amidst increased defense collaboration between Armenia and Western nations, russian state-controlled media have suggested that Yerevan might be preparing to provide Ukraine with Soviet weaponry, while the West would replenish Armenian Army's stocks with new arms in exchange.
Kremlin propagandists assume that Armenia could covertly supply Ukrainian Armed Forces with launchers and spare missiles for the Tochka-U short-range ballistic missile system, Defense Romania noticed. On top of that, 40 Osa air defense systems could potentially go to Ukraine as well.
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The basis for these claims is unclear. The russian sources assert that Armenia keeps three Tochka-U launchers and up to 200 missiles, and the entire arsenal might end up in Ukraine. Some even suggest the possibility that Armenia initiated the transfers even before russian forces launched their full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
On a note from Defense Express, it is difficult to offer a substantive response to such speculative assertions.
The Military Balance 2023 confirms that the Armed Forces of Armenia possess three Tochka-U launchers, but missile quantities are unspecified. As for Armenian air defense systems, the handbook mentions the Osa mobile surface-to-air missile systems but no data on how many of them are in service.
While the claims may be considered dubious, it is noteworthy that russian judgments may be reflecting the concerns shaping their military strategies against Ukraine. The possibility of Armenia supplying missiles and other weaponry to Ukraine, though speculative, appears to influence russian perceptions and plans of how to wage war on its Western neighbor.
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