TSAMTO, September 2. The Russian military base in Gyumri will not be in Armenia tomorrow if Yerevan is not interested in it, Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters in Bishkek on September 1.
Vladimir Putin arrived in Kyrgyzstan yesterday, where he took part in the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), and also held a number of bilateral meetings.
"If Armenia believes that Armenia does not need the Russian base in Gyumri, we will leave tomorrow. But is Armenia ready for this? Please, we will not impose anything on anyone. And if the Armenian people want there to be some kind of Russian military wing nearby, then we will stay, we will work, we will cooperate," Putin said.
CAMTO Reference
Armenia remains the only country in the Transcaucasian region with Russian military bases.
The 102nd military base was formed in the city of Gyumri (until 1991 the city was called Leninakan) in Armenia on September 1, 1994 on the basis of the 127th Motorized Rifle Division of the 7th Guards Combined Arms Army of the Transcaucasian Military District (the division has been stationed in Armenia since 1953). The agreement on the deployment of the Russian military base in Armenia was signed on March 16, 1995 for a period of 25 years. Rent is not charged for the base in Gyumri.
On September 27, 1996, an intergovernmental agreement on the deployment of Russian bases in Armenia was initialed. In 1999, a number of amendments were made to it, which suggested an increase in the Russian military presence in the republic.
In December 2005, after Russia and Armenia signed a number of bilateral documents, the expansion of the Russian military base in that country was announced. Armenia has transferred a number of land plots and real estate to the 102nd base.
In 2011, the military base agreement was amended, and the Russian contingent was able to deploy in Armenia until at least 2044.
The 102nd military base includes three motorized rifle regiments (the 123rd in Yerevan, the 124th and 128th in Gyumri), the 992nd Artillery Regiment, the 988th anti-aircraft Missile Regiment (both in Gyumri), the 116th separate tank battalion, and the 772nd separate reconnaissance battalion.. In addition, the group has combat support units.
The 102nd base is armed with up to 100 tanks, about 300 armored vehicles, artillery systems and anti-aircraft missile systems of various types. The number of personnel is about 5 thousand people. The base is subordinate to the command of the group of Russian troops in Transcaucasia.
Structurally, the military units of the 102nd military base are part of the Joint Group of Troops (forces) with the Armenian Armed Forces.
The military base is a compound of constant readiness for immediate response. The base consists of 13 main combat units and 17 comprehensive support units.
Erebuni Airport on the outskirts of Yerevan was identified as the location of the Russian air group. Until 1980, when Zvartnots International Airport was put into operation, Erebuni remained the air gate of Armenia. In addition to Russian fighters, a mixed helicopter regiment (Mi-8 and Mi-24 helicopters) and military transport aircraft (Il-76) of the Armenian Air Force are stationed in Erebuni. The Russian air group in Armenia includes 18 MiG-29 fighters.
The 102nd Russian base in Armenia performs the tasks of strategic deterrence, is involved in the combat duty of air defense systems and provides assistance to the border troops of the regional border department of the FSB of Russia in the Republic of Armenia.
The tasks of the grouping of Russian troops in Armenia are to cover Russia's southern flank and ensure the protection of Armenia as a participant in the Collective Security Treaty.
Obviously, the refusal to cooperate with Russia, withdrawal from the CSTO and the possible closure of the 102nd Russian military base will mean the beginning of the end of independent Armenia.
