Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, in a televised address to the nation, said victory is the only path for the Armenian people and revealed that some 150 high-ranking Turkish military officials were stationed in Azerbaijan command centers, as the attacks on Artsakh, which began a week ago, intensified on Saturday.
Saying that the Armenian Nation is living it most decisive moments in its millennia-old history, Pashinyan call on all Armenians to commit themselves to the cause of victory.
He explained that from 150 to 200 enemy soldiers are attacking one military position in Artsakh, citing official government analysis. “The kinds of attacks are repeated several times during a day and are supported by missile and conventional artillery, armored vehicles, aircrafts and UAVs.”
“According to our military, in addition to the Azerbaijani army units, Syrian mercenaries and terrorists, special units of the Turkish army are involved in the attacks. We have information that 150 high level Turkish military officers are in different Azerbaijani command centers and control the military operations. What I mentioned here show how fierce clashes are taking place on the frontline,’’ Pashinyan said.
“The resilience with which our soldiers, officers, generals and volunteers withstand this heinous attack is unbelievable. Our soldiers and volunteers spare nothing and demonstrate unimaginable acts of heroism,” he said. “Today hundreds of armored vehicles, dozens of airplanes and helicopters, hundreds of drones of the enemy have already been destroyed.”
He also emphasized the sobering realities of war, explaining that despite military victories over Azerbaijan, the Armed Forces were facing fierce clashes on the frontlines, finding themselves in “unfavorable” situations.
He emphasized that the Azerbaijani-Turkish criminal armed groups do not pursue just military or military-political goals. It’s not only Karabakh that has brought them here. They have not come to just occupy territories, villages or cities. Their target is the Armenian nation, their goal is the continuation of their policy of the Armenian Genocide.
‘’Today I want to say that Armenians—the citizens of the Republic of Armenia, the citizens of the Republic of Artsakh—will never again experience the death marchers of Deir ez-Zor. Today we are united like never before to defend our very existence, our Homeland and our rights,” said Pashinyan.
“This is a new Sardarabad,” Pashinyan said, referring to the fateful battle that ensured the establishment of an independent Armenian Republic in 1918.
Below is the translated text of Pashinyan’s address to the nation.
Dear people,
Proud citizens of the Republic of Armenia,
Proud citizens of the Republic of Artsakh,
Proud Armenians in the Diaspora,
For almost a week now, the Armenian people in Artsakh and Armenia have been resisting the Azerbaijani-Turkish terrorist attack. The scale of the attack is unprecedented, the enemy is attacking on a scale that, according to military experts, in the 21st century has not often happened anywhere in the world, in any of the conflict zones.
Hundreds of tanks and infantry fighting vehicles, thousands of shells and missiles, dozens of planes, hundreds of drones and tens of thousands of troops have been attacking the positions of the Artsakh Defense Army along the entire line of contact for a week now.
Our analysis of the previous day showed that about 150 to 200 soldiers of the enemy are attacking one combat position of the Artsakh Defense Army. Moreover, such attacks are repeated several times a day, accompanied by the support of missiles and traditional artillery, armored vehicles, aircraft, drones. According to our military, in addition to the Azerbaijani army units, Syrian mercenaries and terrorists, special units of the Turkish army are involved in the attacks.
According to our information, about 150 high-ranking servicemen of the Turkish army are in the command posts of different units of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces and lead the military operations.
This description itself should testify to the heavy fighting on the front lines. For a week now, the Artsakh Defense Army, our volunteer detachments have been fighting to the death on the sacred land of Artsakh. At the moment we already have a lot of casualties among military and civilians, a large number of military equipment is out of order, but the enemy has not been able to solve any strategic problem.
The resilience with which our soldiers, officers, generals and freedom fighters withstood this heinous attack is unbelievable. Our soldiers and volunteers spare nothing and show incredible examples of heroism. Today on the battlefield there are hundreds of destroyed armored vehicles of the enemy, dozens of planes and helicopters, hundreds of drones, the enemy’s loss in manpower exceeds several thousand.
At the moment, the heavy fighting continues in different parts of the front line, in some places the troops of the Defense Army are in a rather difficult situation, in some places they confidently keep the situation under control.
Dear compatriots, brothers and sisters,
We live in perhaps the most crucial phase of our millennial history. Azerbaijani-Turkish bands are not only pursuing a military or military-political issue. They have not come only for Karabakh or the Karabakh issue. They have not come just to conquer territories, villages or cities. Their goal is the Armenians, their goal is to continue their policy of the Armenian Genocide, and they have set a goal to continue the Armenian Genocide today.
But today, I want to say that now the Armenian, the citizen of the Republic of Armenia, the citizen of the Republic of Artsakh, is no longer the wanderer of Der Zor. Today, more than ever, we are imbued with an indestructible determination to defend our identity, our homeland, our rights.
I am convinced of that after having had telephone conversations last night with the commanders of the Defense Regions of the Artsakh Defense Army, the commanders of divisions, even a number of privates, officers and non-commissioned officers on the front lines.
I told them that I love everyone, I am proud of them and I bow to them. I told them that the Armenian nation, which has tasted the incomparable taste of victory thanks to its martyrs and living heroes, no longer agrees with any other destiny.
We eye victory, only victory, exclusively victory at the end of this struggle. Today, hours ago, the Artsakh Defense Army carried out active counter-offensive operations and achieved significant success, defeating several special units of the enemy.
No matter how abundant the flow of mercenaries, our enemy cannot compete with the Armenian will to live and win, and we must work together to break the backbone of the attacking enemy so that it never again, never direct its criminal hands towards us, never turns its bloody gaze on our homeland.
Dear people,
Proud citizens of the Republic of Armenia,
Proud citizens of the Republic of Artsakh,
Proud Armenians of the Diaspora,
This is a new Sardarabad, and each of us must dedicate ourselves to one goal, and the name of that goal is victory. The name of that goal is victory.
And each of us must be ready to be at the forefront of that victory at any moment. And we will win. And we will definitely win. And do not doubt that we will definitely win.
And so,
Long live Freedom!
Long live the Republic of Armenia!
Long live the Republic of Artsakh!
And long live our children who will live in a Free and Happy Armenia!
Glory to the fallen heroes.
Glory to the victorious Armenian army.
Glory to the victorious Armenian people.
