The Backbone of Artsakh's Defense Army Was Shattered Due to the Gamble at Lalatapan: Edgar Elbakyan

Factually, the backbone of the Artsakh Defense Army was shattered due to the gamble to attack Lalatapan, a decision made in this room, wrote political scientist Edgar Elbakyan on his Facebook page, reflecting on Prime Minister Pashinyan's decision to bring back Lalatapan during the 44-day war and its consequences.

“On October 6, 2020, around 3:00 PM, when it was already clear that the Jabrail-Mekhakar was about to fall, the de facto leader of Armenia made a criminal decision in Stepanakert, resulting in the complete destruction of:

• * The remnants of the Jabrail military unit*
• * The Fizuli tank unit*
• * The Khankendi tank unit*
• * The remnants of the Araleri (Dashkesan) military unit*
• * Most of the CPB (ЦОР) infantry and military equipment.

Factually, the backbone of the Artsakh Defense Army was shattered due to the gamble to attack Lalatapan, a decision made in this room. Prior to the counter-offensive, no proper artillery preparation or reconnaissance was conducted—NOTHING. There was merely a selfish aim to sacrifice troops for the sake of “bragging” that they were retrieving what the “former ones” had given away. As a result, our military equipment fell into the hands of the enemy, while the infantry was under enemy “Smerch” strikes…

• In this room, as you can see, neither Serzh nor Kocharyan nor the “former ones” are present. In this room are the people whom the Armenian people elected in 2018 and 2020. Those present in this room, represented by the de facto leader of Armenia, treated the Armenian people as the Arabs, Byzantines, Mongols, and Turks treated them—those who have historically been enemies of the idea of an independent Armenia.

• In the upcoming elections, if they take place, any vote given to this criminal will mean that the voter supports the idea that, with the tolerance of the Armenian authorities, the Turks can annihilate him and his fellow countrymen. Before going to the polls, please review this video if you have decided to cast your vote for your killer,” he wrote.