Today, in the NA Investigative Committee, Andranik Kocharyan asked Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan whether the National Security Service and the intelligence service had clear information about the upcoming war: approximate date, forces, directions, details. Kocharyan also reported that the head of the Armed Forces General Staff of that time, Onik Gasparyan, said in the investigative commission that the armed forces were brought to the first level of readiness in parts, which was based on the 2020 radio interception. The conversation of the pilots of “F16” fighter jets received on September 25 that they will participate in something important tomorrow.
Nikol Pashinyan confirmed that the information of September 25 was reported to him. “However, our institutes estimated the probability of war at 30% by the 25th of the month, and this assessment was based not only on intelligence but also on several other data, that contacts with international partners, etc. Another thing was reported to me, that the probability of war is 30%. In those conditions, there is a possibility that it is a psychological pressure on the political power, that the administration will make disproportionate concessions,” said Pashinyan, noting that he will provide information on this topic behind closed doors.
Christine Poghosyan, deputy of KP faction, also asked whether the above issue was discussed with the strategic ally, because they have a bigger intelligence service.
Pashinyan said that he did not personally have any discussions on this topic. Still, he noted that he was informed several times that Armenia’s international partners also consider war unlikely and called on the Armenian armed forces not to take drastic actions, a “war out of nowhere” not to provoke.
“I think that the report of the General Staff of the Armed Forces was shaped by this information as well. I want to be open and honest, I personally did not agree with that assessment. Of course, my instruction has always been to ensure high vigilance,” said Nikol Pashinyan.
