Can weapons be transported to Armenian separatists in vehicles?

Our month-long action with the demand of monitoring gold and copper deposits in Karabakh has undoubtedly positive results. We showed the Armenian authorities, Armenian separatists, Russia and the West that we have the right to control the road connecting Armenia and Karabakh. However, the course of events shows that this will not be enough, we have to increase our goals on the road to Lachin.

Trucks belonging to the Russian military contingent freely cross the Shusha-Khankendi road and move from Karabakh to Armenia, from Armenia to Karabakh, 25 vehicles crossed the road without obstacles in just one day. One question has increased in the political and expert circles of Azerbaijan: can arms, ammunition and mines be transported to the Armenian separatists in the vehicles of the Russian military contingent? It is impossible to give an unambiguous answer to this question: "No, such loads cannot be transported." Because there is no accurate information about what is transported in those vehicles. The command of the Russian military contingent can falsely say that the vehicles carry only the necessary equipment for them. But what is the load that 25 vehicles passed from Armenia to Karabakh in one day?

It is difficult to emphasize that weapons, ammunition and mines were transported to the Armenian separatists in those vehicles, but it is impossible to say the opposite. The point is that during the two years that the Russian military contingent had posts on the road, weapons, ammunition and mines were transported from Armenia to Karabakh, and the Russian military did not prevent it, but rather cooperated hand in hand with the separatists in Khankendi. In such a case, it is not credible that the Russian military contingent turned its back on the Armenian separatists.

The separatists have well understood the psychology of the Russian military. Since 1988, when Armenians started their separatism, they have experience of taking over the Russian military with money. Let's say that the commander of the Russian military contingent, Andrey Volkov, is against transporting weapons to Armenian separatists in vehicles. Armenian separatists can carry weapons inside their vehicles by paying several thousand dollars a month to low-ranking soldiers of the Russian military contingent. In order to put an end to these well-founded doubts, as a continuation of the protest, it is necessary to establish a border and customs service on the Lachin road, after which any cargo will be checked and the possibility of transporting weapons and ammunition to the separatists will be eliminated.

"Atlas" Research Center