ArmInfo.The Armenian Ministry of Defense reacted to the message of the Azerbaijani side on the conduct of large-scale tactical exercises.
So, in the statement of the Ministry of Defense of Armenia, it is stated that the Azerbaijani side today distributed a message on conducting operational-tactical large-scale exercises on May 18-22.
"It is noteworthy that the exercise is exclusively offensive in nature, with the use of artillery, air and high- precision weapons during which, massive strikes will be played at the operational depths of the enemy," the Armenian defense department noted, attracting the attention of the OSCE, co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Personal Representative of OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and the international community to the fact that the large-scale exercises of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces, according to the established tradition, are held without prior warning, which in turn is a gross violation of the Vienna documents of 2011, aimed at strengthening the ceasefire. "The Ministry of Defense of Armenia condemns the conduct of these exercises by Azerbaijan, which aggravate the atmosphere of security in the region, and which will take place in the context of the need for joint efforts to combat the global challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic, and contrary to the appeal of the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to a global ceasefire. We urge the Azerbaijani side to exercise restraint and respect the commitments made to the international community, however, we would like to emphasize that any approach of military equipment or manpower during exercises to the state border with Armenia or to the line of contact with Artsakh will be considered as a provocation and will have corresponding consequences, "the Armenian Defense Ministry emphasized. As ArmInfo previously reported, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces will hold large-scale tactical exercises from May 18 to 22. The exercises will be attended by up to 10,000 military personnel, about 120 units of tanks and armored vehicles, up to 200 missile and artillery mounts of various calibers, multiple launch rocket systems and mortars, up to 30 units of army and front-line aviation, as well as unmanned aerial vehicles for various purposes.
During the exercises, issues of combat readiness, planning and comprehensive support of operations, the interaction of command and control agencies of various types of troops will be worked out, as well as fire and maneuverability of the strike groups created under the conditions of the exercises. It provides for the use of troops in selected areas, the introduction of massive strikes by missile forces and artillery, bombing and assault strikes by aviation, as well as the use of precision-guided weapons in service throughout the depth of the operational formation of enemy troops.