Defense Minister of Armenia does not think that the sale of Russian weapons to Azerbaijan was a politically motivated step. The minister made such statement talking to reporters, on 29 May.
"There is no big politics in that arms deal, not least because the military-technical cooperation of Armenia and Russia is at a higher level, and the mutual support is more efficient than the business-deal between Baku and Moscow. Furthermore, that deal is under strict control," Ohanyan said.
The minister assured reporters that Armenia with its up-to-date equipment of the Armed Forces is not left behind the trends in the region. "Since May 1994 we have been managing to keep balance of power in the region without support of a third party, due to the quality and morale of our troops, which means that the Armenian army is competitive in the region and everyone reckons with it," the minister said. In response to ArmInfo's question, Ohanyan said that the military-technical cooperation of Baku and Moscow is regularly discussed by the Armenian and Russian military departments and the Armenian party expresses concern over that fact, but there is obviously no reason to panic.
It was reported on 26 May that Russia plans to supply another ordered lot of 6 TOS-1A heavy flamethrower systems. According to Uralvagonzavod plant, under a contract with Azerbaijan, that country will receive 18 items of TOS-1A "Solntsegorsk." Last year, Russian supplied the first lot of 6 systems.
In addition, on 23 May, Konstantin Byrulin, Deputy Head of the Federal Services for Military-Technical Cooperation of Russia, said Azerbaijan has already received 100 tanks T-90C and another 100 tanks may be delivered to Baku later, along with helicopters Mi-171 and Mi-35, armored vehicles, light weapons, and mortar howitzers.
Meanwhile, on 28 May, Russian Ambassador to Armenia Ivan Volynkin told reporters selling tanks to the enemy of one's strategic ally is not reprehensible. "There is no politics in that deal. One should not focus on such issues. There is no criminal is that deal, nothing terrible has happened. Our military-technical relations and trade with Armenia keep developing as well and there is not special about all that," Volynkin said.