Movses Hakobyan and Anna Hakobyan in Artsakh in May 2018. Official photo

Armenia failed to mobilize sufficient number of reservists and stopped sending them to the Artsakh Defense Army after September 30, general Movses Hakobyan, who days earlier retired as Armenia’s chief military inspector, revealed in his November 19 press conference. Hakobyan was chief of Armenia’s general staff in 2016-18 and before that the Defense Army commander in 2007-15.

Armenia’s current chief of general staff general Onik Gasparyan previously revealed that on September 30 he briefed prime minister Nikol Pashinyan that the war had to be stopped within days, considering the extent of losses suffered by the Defense Army from attacks by the Turkish air force. It appears that following that briefing, Pashinyan decided to suspend further mobilization, and call for volunteers to join the war effort instead. According to Hakobyan, military commanders were taken aback by Pashinyan’s order and had it recorded.

Hakobyan also claimed that several days later, in early October, he was ordered by Pashinyan to leave Artsakh and return to Yerevan after raising objections over prime minister’s wife’s presence at the Defense Army command post.

Hakobyan further reported that Su-30 fighter jets that were purchased by the government since 2018 could not participate in the fighting since they remain unarmed. The retired general argued that the money spent on jets should have been spent on modern air defense systems that could counter the Turkish drones.