Russia snap checks combat readiness of troops in Armenia
Russia has ordered the combat readiness of its troops in Armenia tested in a snap check amid popular protests in the country against price hikes.
Russia's Southern Military District said in a statement Tuesday that troops stationed in Armenia's mountainous areas of Kamkhud and Alagyaz have been ordered to perform snap combat readiness exercises.
"During the snap inspection, a commission will assess the readiness of duty troops in the air force unit stationed in Erebuni and at the military base in Gyumri to perform assigned tasks," the statement said, adding drones will monitor the situation of the troops and their movement in the area.
Russian media also reported that the commission of the Southern Military District "has started a sudden combat readiness check of the military base located in the Republic of Armenia."
Russia has ordered several drills in recent months to test the readiness of its armed forces stationed around the world amid a standoff with the West over an armed crisis in east Ukraine.
The snap check in Armenia also comes against the backdrop of more than two weeks of street protests in the Caucasus country, where people have been protesting a planned rise in electricity prices by a Russian-owned company.
Massive clashes erupted last month between police and protesters in the capital, Yerevan, in what was later said to be one of the largest anti-government gatherings in Armenia over the years.
Some say the protests are the result of boiling anti-Russia sentiments in Armenia, where people have been criticizing the government for giving in too much to Russia. President Serzh Sargsyan, however, denies that, criticizing those who draw a similarity between the situation in Armenia and what happened in Ukraine last year.
Russia has warned Western governments about plans to foment a revolution in Armenia with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warning that Moscow will spare no efforts in protecting one of its staunchest allies.
Ties between Russia and Armenia hit a deep low in January after a Russian soldier killed seven members of a family, including a six-month baby, in Gyumri, the same city where Russia has started its drills.
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