Russia selling military equipment to Azerbaijan
Russia began delivering up to $1 billion worth military equipment to Azerbaijan, including new tanks, artillery systems and infantry fighting vehicles.
The Armenian service of Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) reminds that this is not the first time when Armenia's strategic partner Russia is selling military hardware to Azerbaijan, which is de facto at war with Armenia.
Russian military expert Pavel Felgengauer says there is nothing surprising; this is not the first time Russia is supplying Azerbaijan military equipment.
"Russia holds a neutral and balanced stance on the Karabakh issue and does not support any of the conflicting parties. Russia wants to control the entire South Caucasus. It is not interested in Armenia or Azerbaijan separately," said the expert.
The military hardware being supplied to Baku is worth between $700 million and $1 billion and includes 94 T-90S tanks, about 100 BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles, 18 Msta-S howitzers, 18 Smerch rocket launchers, 18 Vena "floating mortars," and six TOS-1A Solntsepek multiple launch rocket systems, according to Vedomosti. According to the paper, the deliveries started in spring 2013 but no official commented on the deal.
Armenia and Azerbaijan are still locked in a dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh, where a bloody war erupted in the late 1980s, claiming tens of thousands lives.
