VIDEO: Where Was David Tonoyan Before the War?

In the investigative commission on the 44-day war, former Minister of Defense David Tonoyan detailed where he was on the eve of the war.

In response to a question about how he learned of the war and where he had been beforehand, Tonoyan stated:

“On September 25, 2020, I was on a business trip in Russia for military exercises. On the evening of September 25-26, I was in a EU and NATO member country again on a business trip, aiming to organize arms and military equipment supplies. On the evening of the 26th, just before the war began, I was on a plane, continuing my trip to Kazakhstan, where I was to meet with participants of negotiations and continue discussions on issues related to arms and military equipment procurement.”

“At the moment of landing, on the morning of the 27th, I was immediately informed by the Chief of the General Staff when it was possible to turn on the phones. After that, I had a conversation with the Prime Minister of Armenia. Considering the adverse COVID situation, we could barely secure a plane within two or three hours to return to Armenia. My return was complicated, but I will talk about that in a closed session. I returned via Georgia. On September 28, at 4 AM, I was in Yerevan, after which I received permission from the Prime Minister and headed to the area of military operations.”