HIGH-SCALE AZERBAIJANI MILITARY DRILLS CONTINUE FOR THIRD DAY
Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
July 9 2014
9 July 2014 - 2:15pm
10,000 soldiers, 80 tanks, 300 armored vehicles, over 100 artillery
systems, 20 combat jets, up to 20 combat and transport helicopters
are taking part in the military drills in the Agdam and the Barda
districts for the third day. Defense Minister Colonel-General Zakir
Gasanov is in charge of the training process.
Uzeir Jafarov, a military expert, called the drills regular annual
training. The only peculiarity of the drills this year, he said,
was involvement of 3,000 reservists. Jafarov reminded that there had
been mass drills of over 20,000 soldiers in Nakhchivan this year. The
analyst ruled out speculations about preparations of Azerbaijan
for war.
Vladimir Yevseyev, head of the Caucasus section at the Institute of
CIS Countries, supposes that the drills were provoked by escalation
of tensions on the border of Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan Autonomous
Republic. The expert speculates that Azerbaijan was training for a
scenario of 10,000 soldiers taking back Nagorno-Karabakh. Yevseyev
considers such a scenario justified. He predicts that Armenia will
organize drills to stabilize the situation.
Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
July 9 2014
9 July 2014 - 2:15pm
10,000 soldiers, 80 tanks, 300 armored vehicles, over 100 artillery
systems, 20 combat jets, up to 20 combat and transport helicopters
are taking part in the military drills in the Agdam and the Barda
districts for the third day. Defense Minister Colonel-General Zakir
Gasanov is in charge of the training process.
Uzeir Jafarov, a military expert, called the drills regular annual
training. The only peculiarity of the drills this year, he said,
was involvement of 3,000 reservists. Jafarov reminded that there had
been mass drills of over 20,000 soldiers in Nakhchivan this year. The
analyst ruled out speculations about preparations of Azerbaijan
for war.
Vladimir Yevseyev, head of the Caucasus section at the Institute of
CIS Countries, supposes that the drills were provoked by escalation
of tensions on the border of Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan Autonomous
Republic. The expert speculates that Azerbaijan was training for a
scenario of 10,000 soldiers taking back Nagorno-Karabakh. Yevseyev
considers such a scenario justified. He predicts that Armenia will
organize drills to stabilize the situation.