Armenian experts see no big importance in delivery of Russian APCs to Azerbaijan

Armoured personnel carriers (APCs) are not intended for combat operations, and their supply to Azerbaijan does not violate the balance of forces in the Karabakh conflict zone, Armenian observers stated. The experts treated the delivery as a Russia's attempt to hinder the settlement of the conflict.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on January 19, Russian-made armoured vehicles arrived in Baku. Baku experts believe that BTR-82A armoured personnel carriers will strengthen the combat capabilities of the armed forces of Azerbaijan in the conflict zone.

Armour protection of a BTR-82A is not sufficient for its use in combat action, noted military observer Leonid Nersisyan, the editor-in-chief of the magazine "New Defence Order. Strategies".

He believes the probability of a large-scale war depends on whether the arms race will lead to a shift in the balance of power.

According to Karen Vrtanesyan, a coordinator of the military and analytical portal "Razm.info", Azerbaijan uses reports on the supply of Russian weapons for the information and psychological pressure on Armenia.

Military observer Samvel Agababyan, an author of the blog "Military Industrial Complex of Armenia", has added that the armed forces of the Nagorno-Karabakh Defence Army and the Armenian Armed Forces have only old Soviet BTR-70 or BTR-80 APCs.

When supplying the conflicting parties with weapons, Russia seeks to maintain and control tension in the Karabakh conflict zone, believes Ruben Megrabyan, an expert of the Centre for Political and International Studies.