YEREVAN. Nov 20 (Interfax) - The Armenian Defense Ministry has denied remarks by Col. Gen. Movses Hakobyan, former chief military inspector, who claimed that preparations for the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh were inappropriate.
"Not only Hakobyan's statements are untrue, but they also constitute a state secret," the ministry said.
In some of his remarks during a press conference, Hakobyan disclosed some information on the structure of the Armenian Armed Forces, which constitutes a state secret, it said.
In particular, the ministry dismissed Hakobyan's claims that the Sukhoi Su-30SM aircraft possessed by Armenia have no ammunition and that Osa anti-aircraft missile systems did not fire a single round during the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh. The ministry insisted that 62 Azerbaijani drones were actually downed using these systems.
The Defense Ministry also said mobilization was conducted in full and completely in line with the law.
As was reported earlier, Hakobyan, who accused Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of poor preparations for the conflict, was later questioned at the Special Investigation Service.
The Armenian Prosecutor General's Office said earlier that it had forwarded a video recording of Hakobyan's conference to the Special Investigation Service to prepare a file under Armenian Criminal Code Articles 180 and 181 (theft of especially valuable objects and theft with the use of computer equipment).
Hakobyan, who resigned as Armenia's chief military inspector on Wednesday, said at a press conference on Thursday that the Defense Ministry's information center spread absolute lies during the fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh and that the army began to collapse after Artak Davtyan was appointed chief of the Armed Forces General Staff in 2018.
Hakobyan also charged that the Armenian leadership's decision to send volunteers to fight in Nagorno-Karabakh was a crime, that mobilization had been 78% completed in Nagorno-Karabakh and 52% in Armenia, and that five Armenian regiments were made redundant in line with a secret decision.
He also accused the prime minister of making unwarranted adjustments to a weapons procurement plan.
"Sukhoi Su-30SM fighter aircraft and Osa anti-aircraft missile systems were purchased. None of these weapons fired a single shot during this war. We didn't need Su planes, and I had explained why earlier. These planes remain idle here without ammunition. A Russian government decision prohibits the sale of ammunition for these fighters to other countries," Hakobyan said.
As reported earlier, Prime Minister Pashinyan considers Hakobyan's criticism unsubstantiated.
"The Armenian prime minister considers all accusations leveled at him by Mr. Hakobyan farfetched and absurd. These accusations are currently being analyzed as possible libel, after which a decision will be made," Pashinyan's press secretary Mane Gevorgyan said on Facebook.
Law enforcement agencies should scrutinize Hakobyan's remarks, Gevorgyan said.
Hakobyan said he was leaving the post of chief military inspector on Wednesday. He previously served as chief of the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces and defense minister of the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.