Former Armenian military officials accused of negligence over Russian arms deal

Former Chief of the General Staff of the Armenian Army, Colonel General Movses Hakobyan, and former Chief of the Missile Forces and Artillery Department, Major General Armen Harutyunyan, have been accused of negligence in service, Azernews reports via Armenian media.

The charges stem from Armenia’s purchase of unusable military equipment from Russia nine years ago. Hakobyan, who signed the bilateral agreement, facilitated the acquisition of more than 4.5 billion drams ($11 million) worth of military equipment and technology from Russia.

The case highlights concerns over corruption and mismanagement within Armenia’s defense sector, particularly in past arms procurement deals.