Armenian Defense Minister denies media reports about Azeri military buildup

Armenian Defense Minister Suren Papikyan has denied media reports about Azeri military buildup near the border.

“At this moment no such phenomenon is visible on the ground,” he told reporters when asked whether there are troops movements on the border. “The Ministry of Defense does not confirm the disinformation spread in the media about buildups and troops movements.”

He said the military has always duly reported all incidents or developments, including ceasefire breaches by Azeri forces.

Earlier on Friday, the Defense Ministry issued a statement warning citizens against spreading untrue or false reports about the military. The statement was apparently in response to a media report about Azerbaijan allegedly having violated the ceasefire overnight March 20-21.