NKR DM: Azerbaijan`s increase in defense spending testifies Baku`s  intention to settle Karabakh issue by force

ArmInfo.From year to year, Azerbaijan increases its defense spending, which indicates  Baku's intention to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh issue by force.  Colonel Viktor Arustamyan, chief of the operational department of Defense Army of Nagorno Karabakh Republic stated at the conference "Military-Political Tactics of the Enemy and Our Actions" organized by ARF "Dashnaktsutyun" on September 4 in Yerevan.

According to him, Azerbaijan's reduction of financing its own defense  needs over the past two years is due to a drop in world oil prices.  At the same time, he noted that Baku basically buys weapons from  Russia, Turkey, Israel, Georgia, Belarus, Ukraine and South Africa.  "In recent years, the situation on the front can be qualified as  tense. The military-political leadership of Azerbaijan pursues the  following goals by its actions: keeping tension on the front line,  trying to change the negotiation process in its favor; inflict as  much damage as possible on the Armenian armed forces; check the  combat readiness of the Armenian armed forces; to improve the morale  of their own armed forces and to test their ability to act during  battles; try to divert the attention of our society from problems  inside the country, especially in connection with the fall in oil  prices, "the colonel believes.

At the same time, Arustamyan expressed the supposition that last  year's April war, initiated by Azerbaijan, was dictated by the  internal political situation in the country, as well as the possible  pressure of Ankara on Baku in connection with the aggravation of  Russian-Turkish relations. According to him, the tension on the front  after the April fights is preserved, but the number of sabotage  attacks has decreased.

Arustamyan also believes that in April of last year Baku tried by  force to resolve the issue, but his plan failed.

To the question why, despite the fact that Armenian Armed Forces knew  about the clusters armament and manpower on the front line, the  factor suddenness, Arustamyan noted that this is due to the fact that  the enemy during this period intensively violated ceasefire, carried  out sabotage attacks, constantly moved equipment, thereby diverting  attention. "Lack of funds for deep reconnaissance and these actions  of the enemy deceived us and did not allow us to react immediately,  but after a few hours we have already analyzed the situation and  resorted to the necessary actions," said the colonel.

He also noted that from 1994 military-technical capabilities of  Azerbaijan prevailed over the Armenian ones, as was repeatedly  mentioned. But, in his opinion, in addition to military-technical,  there are factors such as the preparation of the Armed Forces, their  moral and psychological state, morale, which is many times higher in  the Armenian side than in adversary.