The decision not to publish the report of the parliamentary commission investigating the circumstances of the 44-day war in Artsakh is driven not by legal reasons but primarily by political calculations. This opinion was expressed by military expert Hayk Nahapetyan.
He emphasized that such discussions would intensify public discontent, which the authorities are keen to avoid ahead of the 2026 elections. According to Nahapetyan, the publication of the report would become “the number one topic on the political agenda” until the parliamentary elections.
“If this document had been published, every episode, every name in it would have become the center of discussions in information flows. People would once again talk about how Nikol Pashinyan, as the commander-in-chief, suffered a defeat. For the current authorities, this would be a devastating topic, especially since their rating is already low,” Nahapetyan stated.
Hundreds of Officials Should Be Held Accountable
The expert noted that in any state, victory or defeat in a war is directly linked to the military-political leadership.
“We lost this war. If the commission truly conducted a thorough investigation not only of the 44 days but also of the preceding processes, it is logical that, based on its conclusions, several hundred officials in the Republic of Armenia, led by Nikol Pashinyan, should be held accountable,” he said.
Nahapetyan is confident that such a conclusion can be reached even without access to the report. “I can cite at least 10 facts showing how the authorities prepared for this defeat, starting from 2018,” he added.
Unanswered Questions
The expert pointed out several military-political steps that, in his view, were decisive. For instance, the previous authorities had signed a $300 million loan agreement with Russia to purchase effective anti-drone systems, including electronic warfare equipment and Pantsir complexes. However, “after Pashinyan came to power, this contract was canceled.”
Additionally, inefficient military purchases were made from the budget, including Su-type aircraft without armaments. Nahapetyan also highlighted the negative impact on the morale and psychological state of the military personnel. “Since 2018, Anna Hakobyan has been promoting at the state level the narrative that our boys died for nothing, which directly affected the morale of the troops,” he noted.
There were also significant shortcomings in war preparations. Pashinyan publicly stated that he learned about the war just a few days in advance, which implied the need to redeploy armed forces units from their permanent bases, but this was not done.
On September 1, 2020, Russia’s Security Council proposed that Armenia conduct command-staff exercises 26 days before the war, but “this proposal was ignored,” Nahapetyan said. Notably, Lilit Makunts’ statement about Turkey suggests that “either she had official information, or it was a direct instruction from Pashinyan.”
The absence of a defense minister at the start of the war and the disbandment of five reserve regiments, which could not reinforce the units, also created serious problems. Nahapetyan pointed out that on October 19, Russian President Putin proposed halting hostilities, but Pashinyan rejected this offer despite warnings from the General Staff of the Armed Forces.
According to the expert, these are not assumptions but factual circumstances for which both political and military leaders must bear responsibility.