The Armenian telegram channel Bagramyan 26, considered close to Pashinyan, reported on September 8 that Russia was preparing a coup in Armenia with the help of members of the mercenaries from the private military company Wagner.
We publish this material with some abbreviations:
At the time of Prigozhin’s death, there were about 3,000 fighters of the Wagner PPK in Armenia. Recently (mostly from Rostov) they have been joined by about 2,000 contract soldiers (mostly ethnic Armenians). Considering Pashinyan’s recent statements about the mistake of choosing Russia as a strategic partner and accusing the Russian leadership of non-compliance with agreements on the Karabakh issue, the Kremlin has authorized the scenario of a coup d’etat in Armenia.
The goal of this plan is to remove Pashinyan and his team from power using the Wagner militants present in the country. The “last straw” for Putin was the joint Armenian-American military exercises. Currently, the number of Wagnerians in Armenia has increased to 12 thousand. The command to act was “for the day before yesterday.” The Russians’ main bet is on the top management of the military, intelligence services, and police, where there are plenty of Russian agents. In the middle and lower levels, support from Russians is much less. Russia does not have worthy candidates to replace Pashinyan (both Kocharyan and Sargsyan are popping up there…) and is going all-in.
The likelihood of success is extremely low, given the presence of numerous military formations in and around Yerevan. However, the emphasis is on destabilization on the contact line of Nagorno-Karabakh and on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.
In continuation of the process, the cards of pro-Russian candidates for the mayor of Yerevan will be played (Tandilyan – Ruben Vardanyan’s candidate, Marutyan – Patrushev’s candidate, Tevanyan – Kocharyan’s candidate). -0-
A shift in leadership dynamics: Samvel Shahramanyan becomes a key figure of Armenians in Karabakh
Baku/01.09.23/Turan: September 1 marked a significant turning point for the Armenians residing in the populated areas of the Karabakh Economic Region of Azerbaijan. Samvel Shahramanyan assumed the d ……
Turan News Agency – turan.az https://turan.az
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Baku/01.09.23/Turan: September 1 marked a significant turning point for the Armenians residing in the populated areas of the Karabakh Economic Region of Azerbaijan. Samvel Shahramanyan assumed the de facto civilian leadership position, being appointed “state minister” with considerable authority by the now-resigned and illegitimate president, Araik Harutyunyan. The post of “president” is awaiting a successor, with the region’s illegal “parliament” set to make an appointment within a week.
This recent shift in power can be traced back to a series of events that began on July 29, 2023. On that day, “parliament” speaker Artur Tovmasyan voluntarily stepped down from his position, acknowledging his inability to influence unfolding events. Subsequently, on August 9, David Ishkhanyan, a representative of the radical nationalist Dashnaktsutyun party, was elected as the new “speaker,” signaling a transfer of elected power into the hands of staunch adversaries of Azerbaijan.
With Harutyunyan’s departure, his ally “state Minister” Gurgen Nersisyan, known for impassioned anti-Azerbaijan rhetoric, also resigned. Another notable departure was Artak Beglaryan, known for his fervent animosity towards Turks. Ruben Vardanyan, once a “state minister,” then an “adviser to the state minister,” also exited the political stage.
Stepping into this shifting landscape is Samvel Shahramanyan, who formerly held the post of “secretary of the Security Council.” Shahramanyan’s career trajectory is marked by his roles in various governmental departments since 1999. Notably, he served in the local “National Security Service” from 1999 to 2008, followed by positions such as “head of the operational investigation Department of the tax Service” (2008-2010), “chief enforcement officer of the Ministry of Justice” (2010-2013), “head of the Criminal Investigation Board of Khankendi,” (2013-2018), “Director of the Service National Security” (2018), “Minister of Youth, Sports and Tourism” (2020), and “Secretary of the Security Council” (2023).
Shahramanyan has faced personal tragedy as well; his son lost his life in the 44-day war. Yet, his career progression has been attributed to his apparent avoidance of major confrontations with corrupt officials, as noted by blogger David Stepanyan. Stepanyan asserts that Shahramanyan’s rise through the ranks was facilitated by his tendency to turn a blind eye to certain practices, particularly high-ranking officials’ evasion of taxes. This has allowed him to consistently climb the ladder of success.
In contrast to his predecessor, Shahramanyan has not faced a criminal case initiated by the Prosecutor General’s Office of Azerbaijan, positioning him potentially more favorably for negotiations with Baku. However, his stance on the demands made by Azerbaijan remains unknown as of now.
As the leadership dynamics continue to evolve in the region, Shahramanyan’s ascendancy and his potential role in shaping the region’s relationship with Azerbaijan will undoubtedly be closely watched by both local and international observers.-0–