WE HARSHLY RETALIATED THE ATTACKING ENEMY

Interview with Lt Col SERGEY AVANESOV, deputy commander for moral and psychological support

Q: Mr. Avanesov, according to the official statement of the Ministry of Defense, on July 12 the servicemen of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces tried to cross the Armenian border for an unknown reason. They failed. Everyone knows what happened next. What do you think was the purpose of this provocation?

A: I can make many assumptions. However, we should not look for logic in the actions of the military-political leadership of Azerbaijan, we have long been familiar with their adventurous and reckless behavior and are ready to resist it at any moment. I am a military man, to be honest, I am not particularly interested in Azerbaijan’s long-term or urgent goals. I know one thing: any attack of the enemy must be neutralized with minimal losses and given an inappropriately heavy retaliation.

Q: The problem is that the adventurous and illogical actions of the enemy can give us a surprise.

A: Not really, because we are ready to defend the borders of our homeland and the security of our people at any moment. We are ready for every scenario, every development. The fragile ceasefire and the reckless actions of the enemy leave us no alternative. Azerbaijan has always suffered incomparably great losses when it tried to cross our border or attack with long-range weapons. And the life of a soldier is worth nothing to the military-political leadership of Azerbaijan.

Q: This time a general was killed, whose funeral Aliyev did not attend. There is a mess in Azerbaijan.

A: In my opinion, Azerbaijan was not ready for this attack. This was a hasty decision. Almost all the operations of the Azerbaijani army failed.

Q: Maybe the failures are due to the panic caused by our punitive actions?

A: I think that the psychological state in the Azerbaijani army is unstable, there is obviously growing panic. To be successful, the army must first be psychologically ready for combat. Of course, weapons and military equipment have their place, but the spirit of the army, the psychological state are the first preconditions for victory. The lack of professionalism of the Azerbaijani army, their low effectiveness, the large number of casualties speak of a moral and psychological decline.

Q: Mr. Avanesov, how are our boys, what is their mood?

A: I will give you the opportunity to talk to the soldiers who are on the battlefield at the moment, and they will answer… Before that, I must say that I have always been sure that our soldiers will block the way of the enemy. I was sure that they are determined, courageous, and ready to give the most for the homeland. But even the courage, spirit, and resilience of our boys on the battlefield surprised me. I’m proud of our soldiers. The Armenian soldier is an inexplicable phenomenon. As soon as he sees the enemy, every Armenian soldier becomes a lion, ready for incredible heroism.

Q: The soldiers say that the presence of an officer on the battlefield, the presence of the commander gives them extra strength.

A: We are always by the soldier’s side. During all operations, the commander must move forward. The commander and the soldier must respect and love each other so that they are invincible on the battlefield. The soldier and the officer are fighting friends.

Q: What is the current situation on the border?

A: First of all, let me say that we harshly retaliated the attacking enemy. We suppressed all their troops, we suppressed them, causing great human and military losses. The situation is monitored along the entire border.

Q: And what are the moods among the border population?

A: They have been under fire for 30 years since the Artsakh war. You will not surprise them with shots, you will not scare them. The people are calm, they are reasonably defending themselves in the shelters during the shootings. As soon as the shooting stops, they go to the garden and start cultivating the land …

Q: Do you have a word to say to civilians?

A: Sleep well, do not worry. The army is strong with a strong, solid and united back.

By GAYANE POGHOSYAN