YEREVAN. – Official Moscow plans to increase the Russian military presence in Armenia, Haykakan Zhamanak (HZ) daily reports. 

“Our correspondent has learned that major additions are expected at the 102nd Russian Military Base, which is stationed in [Armenia’s City of] Gyumri.   

“In response to HZ’s question, Armenian MOD Press Secretary Artsrun Hovhanisyan neither denied nor confirmed this information.

“According to our sources, however, the Russian soldiers arriving in Armenia to start serving at the 102nd Military Base, and their family members, who will settle in Gyumri, will be approximately 2,500-3,000 people.

“They already have begun to ‘open space’ for the Russian soldiers in Gyumri’s 8th District, where Russian soldiers primarily live, and several dozens of Armenian families will soon be moved to other places to live.   

“Thus, on the one hand, Russia sells weapons to Azerbaijan and, on the other hand, it increases its military presence in Armenia to also defend against those weapons,” Haykakan Zhamanak writes.