Ambassador of Russia: Citizens of Russia in Armenia face no danger

Russia is deeply concerned over the information about the armed attack on one of the Armenian police departments in Yerevan on July 17, Russian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Armenia Ivan Volynkin says in an interview with Izvestia. 

Yet, the diplomat is convinced that there is no threat to the Russians in Armenia and that no additional measures have been taken to strengthen the security of the Embassy.   
When asked whether the building may be assaulted and the number of victims may grow, Volynkin stresses that the law enforcers of Armenia are taking all possible and available measures to settle the situation peacefully.  

"However, they say that 'under the current conditions these measures may prove to be insufficient'. When assessing the freeing of some hostages as 'promising episodes', the Armenian National Security Service, nevertheless, 'guarantees no desirable solution and does not rule out possible tragic consequences, the responsibility for which will lie on the attack initiators only'. According to the NSS, the terrorists who have committed a number of crimes and have a big arsenal of weapons pose a direct threat not only to the hostages, but also to the public," the ambassador says.       

Volynkin points out that opposition parties such as Prosperous Armenia Party and Orinats Yerikir Party have condemned the actions of Artsakh war hero Zhirayr Sefilyan's supporters.  

He notes that Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II also expressed his concern, saying that 'radical actions cannot be justified', especially when 'nationwide solidarity and unity are vitally important for ensuring inviolability of the Motherland's borders and for strong and reliable defense of statehood'. "Ex- defense minister of Armenia Vagharshak Harutyunyan stressed that such steps are harmful from all points of view," the diplomat says.     

He adds that the radical opposition representatives are indignant at the actions of the police, which have detained a number of people.   

"According to the Armenian Ombudsman, nearly 200 people were detained and part of them have already been set free. Yet, the oppositionists held protests in the center of Yerevan, and some of them held a procession to the seized building to prevent bloodshed in case of a possible special operation. In this light, the police urged the protesters 'to abstain from reckless actions' and 'to create no additional difficulties for law enforcers'," Volynkin says.