Should the Azerbaijani regime unleash a war over Nagorno-Karabakh, the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia will be ready to confront them any time, a deputy minister of defense said today, commenting on the repeated frontline escalations provoked by the adversary.

Speaking at a meeting with Armenian writers, Davit Tonoyan noted that Ministry has carried out analytical work to evaluate possible threats. He said that the forecasts of economic challenges in the country were made in the first round of the project back in 2008-2010.
“The Armed Forces carry out planning, considering all the scenarios, so the possibility of a renewed war was initially revised and the necessary actions were planned. Social factors may exacerbate or freeze the situation, but it doesn’t matter much for servicemen. We are ready both today and tomorrow.”
The deputy minister did not rule out the war scenario, noting that the Azerbaijani authorities might eventually consider that option to be their “sole salvation”.
“But that will not essentially influence our combat-readiness, as we are always ready,” he added.
Responding to the writers’ concerns that 57 Armenian servicemen were killed in frontline clashes in 2015, Tonoyan attributed the higher number of fatalities to the Azerbaijani armed forces’ more active agreesion.
“They not openly open sniper fire and launch commando raids as before but also release fire from mines,” he said, regretting to note that the losses increase in number amid the continuing escalation.
“We use the necessary means, so the enemy demonstrates restraint,” Tonoyan added.