CIVILNET

📍 An Azerbaijani serviceman went AWOL and crossed into Armenia’s Syunik province, where he injured a local villager before being apprehended. Azerbaijani border officers warned their Armenian counterparts of the missing serviceman two days prior.📍 Armenia’s cabinet has drafted the country’s state budget for 2027. It suggests an increase in military spending of about 9.5%, to roughly $1.7 billion.📍 Prime Minister Pashinyan said Armenia might reconsider its nuclear energy strategy, abandoning plans to replace the existing nuclear power plant with a small modular reactor. This would open the door for Russia to construct a conventional large-capacity reactor in Armenia rather than the United States.#CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #dailyarmenia

📍 Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met with Russia’s state nuclear energy corporation chief and discussed Moscow’s potential involvement in the construction of a new nuclear power plant in the country.📍 Armenia plans to implement the action plan for visa liberalization with the European Union by 2029, the interior minister announced.📍 EXPLAINER: Can Armenia achieve visa-free travel to EU? https://civilnet.am/en/news/984741 #CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #dailyarmenia

In this episode of Insights, Eric Hacopian examines the recent diplomatic tour of Artsakh organized by Azerbaijan and the controversy surrounding its Armenian cultural heritage. He reflects on the lessons of the past six years, Armenia’s security challenges, and the growing political divide over how to respond to Azerbaijan, including the debate between compromise and resistance.#CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #insightswitherichacopian

What has the war in Ukraine revealed about the future of warfare? In an exclusive interview, CivilNet’s Eric Hacopian speaks with Michael Kofman, Senior Fellow in the Russia and Eurasia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, about the Russia-Ukraine war, Russia’s military adaptation, Ukraine’s use of drones and long-range strikes, and the evolution of modern warfare. Kofman also discusses what Armenia can learn from recent wars, the requirements for effective deterrence, and the continuing importance of military organization, leadership, morale and human capital.00:00 Introduction: Michael Kofman on the Russia-Ukraine War00:43 The Current State of the War in Ukraine02:29 Ukraine’s Drone Strategy and Deep Strikes Inside Russia03:19 Russia’s Attacks on Ukraine’s Energy Infrastructure04:46 Will the War End Through Exhaustion?05:44 Russia’s Manpower and Casualty Challenges08:13 How Warfare Has Changed Since 202009:25 Lessons from the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War10:00 How Drones Are Changing Modern Warfare11:54 How Major Military Powers Are Adapting13:13 How Russia’s Military Has Evolved During the War15:18 Russia’s Weaknesses and New Military Capabilities18:10 Russia’s Postwar Military Capabilities18:57 How Armenia Can Rebuild Its Military19:52 Deterrence: Denying Victory and Raising the Cost of War21:56 What Armenia Should Prioritize in Military Reform23:31 Professional Soldiers and the Limits of Conscription23:50 Can Armenia Achieve Military Superiority?25:33 Do Leadership and Morale Still Matter in Modern Warfare?26:37 Why Drones Cannot Replace Infantry27:24 The Importance of Junior Leadership and Command28:26 Lessons from Armenia’s 2020 War28:52 Morale, Unit Cohesion and Battlefield Leadership30:16 Why Military Technology Alone Is Not Enough#CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ

📍 A possible increase in Russian natural gas price for Armenia would be an egregious economic shock that would require a stronger than usual monetary policy response, Central Bank Governor Martin Galstyan said.📍 Armenia’s Security Council Secretary Alen Simonyan said he spoke with Azerbaijani presidential aide Hikmet Hajiyev over the latter’s remarks regarding Armenian cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh that caused major controversy in Armenia and beyond last week.📍 Can Armenia afford going green? https://youtu.be/YsOBq7w4z0g?si=pcuYsSwgUDGFkUzV #CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #dailyarmenia

📍 Opposition politician and Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan has sued Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan for defamation in a months-long dispute over alleged hallucinogenic mushroom use.📍 During a working visit to France, Pashinyan met with President Emmanuel Macron.#CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #dailyarmenia

The future of the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace agreement remains uncertain, but some elements of the process are likely to outlast it. CivilNet political commentator Eric Hacopian explains how TRIPP and other regional transport links could move forward even without a final agreement. Yet Hacopian says Baku’s “Western Azerbaijan” campaign exposes Aliyev’s true intentions, calling it a “declaration of war.” The discussion then delves into Baku’s increasingly troubled oil-dependent economy and how it’s likely to lead to new political and security challenges for the region. 0:00- What will survive the current Arm-Az peace process 3:10- Could TRIPP open but not the borders? 5:18- Railroads & “Pan-Turkic” concerns 8:17- Turkish normalization with Armenia is dead 9:53- Armenia’s next nuclear plant 12:25- How far can the “Western Azerbaijan” provocation go 14:55- How Armenia should respond 17:46- Azerbaijan’s struggling economy#CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ

The future of the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace agreement remains uncertain, but some elements of the process are likely to outlast it. CivilNet political commentator Eric Hacopian explains how TRIPP and other regional transport links could move forward even without a final agreement. Yet Hacopian says Baku’s “Western Azerbaijan” campaign exposes Aliyev’s true intentions, calling it a “declaration of war.” The discussion then delves into Baku’s increasingly troubled oil-dependent economy and how it’s likely to lead to new political and security challenges for the region. 0:00- What will survive the current Arm-Az peace process 3:10- Could TRIPP open but not the borders? 5:18- Railroads & “Pan-Turkic” concerns 8:17- Turkish normalization with Armenia is dead 9:53- Armenia’s next nuclear plant 12:25- How far can the “Western Azerbaijan” provocation go 14:55- How Armenia should respond 17:46- Azerbaijan’s struggling economy#CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ

📍 Armenia’s government has proposed major amendments to the country’s citizenship law, introducing a two-year residence requirement for ethnic Armenians who wish to become citizens.📍 Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov repeated calls for Armenia to amend its constitution, but said that when this happens is Armenia’s own business.#CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #dailyarmenia

📍 Armenia will have completed about 40% of the work required for visa-free travel to the European Union by November 1, Interior Minister Arpine Sargsyan told CivilNet.📍 Armenia has appealed Russia’s trade restrictions through institutions of the Eurasian Economic Union.#CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #dailyarmenia