This was reported by Ukrainian intelligence
The Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reported an increase in the military presence of the Russian Federation in Armenia amid escalating tensions with Azerbaijan.
According to Ukrainian intelligence data, the Kremlin is intensifying the staffing of its military base in Gyumri, aiming to strengthen military-political pressure on the South Caucasus countries.
The Main Directorate of Intelligence notes that the personnel of the base include servicemen of the Russian Armed Forces who serve in the Rostov and Volgograd regions, as well as in the temporarily occupied Crimea.
“In addition, Russia is actively seeking volunteers among the oppressed peoples of the Caucasus – particularly in North Ossetia and Adygea.”
Andriy Yusov, a representative of the Main Directorate of Intelligence, believes that the deployment of Russian troops in Armenia is part of a comprehensive Kremlin strategy aimed at destabilizing the global security situation.
“Alongside fueling the ethnic conflict, Moscow is increasing its military presence in the Caucasus. It is likely that the deterioration of relations between Azerbaijan and Russia was prepared in advance.”
The agency also emphasized that Ukrainian military intelligence continues to closely monitor the movements of Russian troops both within Russia and beyond its borders.
On June 27, Russian security forces conducted raids in centers of the Azerbaijani diaspora, detaining over fifty people. Several were hospitalized, and the Safarov brothers – 55-year-old Ziyaddin and 60-year-old Huseyn – died.
The Russian authorities suspect them of murders committed in the 2000s. The Safarov brothers’ bodies were delivered to Azerbaijan on June 30, where an examination revealed numerous beatings.
In response to these events, Baku canceled cultural events involving Russians, several state visits, and also detained the heads of the branch of the Russian propaganda media Sputnik.
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