Ready for a coup: the Russians will "wipe them out"?

The Investigative Committee of the Republic of Armenia announced today that seven people will be charged with "preparing the usurpation of power by using violence and threats of violence to seize power."

Six Armenians conspired against the Armenian government. According to official statements, the six Armenians were recruited for a three-month training in Russia and paid a monthly salary of 220,000 rubles ($2,377). They also reportedly underwent background checks and polygraph tests to determine their loyalty before being transferred to the Arbat military base in Rostov-on-Don, southern Russia.

The Russian Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Relations between Armenia and its historic ally Russia have soured since Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022, when the South Caucasian country froze its membership in the CSTO military alliance, sent humanitarian aid to Kyiv and held joint exercises with US forces.

Russia accused EU

At the same time, Armenia's long-time rival Azerbaijan has forged closer ties with the Kremlin, with President Ilham Aliyev holding friendly talks with President Vladimir Putin in Baku last month.

Moscow has accused the EU of interfering in its self-proclaimed sphere of influence by signing a partnership agreement with the Armenian government.

Russian border guards, who have been stationed in Armenia since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, were asked to withdraw earlier this year.

Armenian Prime Minister: We remain oriented towards the West

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan told Politico in September 2023 that the Russian peacekeeping mission in the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh had failed to fulfill its role.

Just days later, Russian forces did not intervene when Azerbaijan launched a new offensive in the enclave, triggering a mass exodus of the entire Armenian population.

Speaking earlier today, Pashinyan promised that Armenia's orientation towards the West will continue.

"If we see the slightest realistic possibility of becoming a full member of the European Union," he said, "we will not miss that moment."