In Armenia, those who come from Russia to vote may be drafted into the army

Armenian citizens who have been living in Russia for a long time and plan to return en masse to their homeland to participate in the upcoming early parliamentary elections risk receiving official summonses immediately after crossing the border. 

Armenian Economy Minister Gevorg Papoyan openly stated this while commenting on media reports that Moscow is preparing a large-scale transport of voters loyal to Moscow to influence the election results.

The official emphasized that the government in Yerevan sees absolutely no legal or logistical problems with the potential arrival of tens of thousands of compatriots from Russia. At the same time, he made it clear that the state will use this opportunity to ensure citizens fulfill their military duty to the country. According to the minister, if approximately 100,000 men arrive in Armenia, the government will promptly send at least 30,000–40,000 of them to the current three-month reserve training exercises, and only after completing military training will they be able to return to Kaluga, Russia, or their other cities of residence. Currently, Armenia is officially conducting a scheduled draft of reservists for training exercises, which began on March 31 and is scheduled to last until June 19, 2026.

In parallel with political statements, pro-government Armenian sources, including the influential Telegram channel “Baghramyan 26,” citing their own sources within law enforcement agencies, have confirmed that as of June 1, enhanced targeted checks of men arriving by air or land from the Russian Federation have already begun at the country’s international airports and land border crossings. Insiders report that border services, in conjunction with representatives of the Armenian Ministry of Defense, have already begun selectively issuing mobilization summonses to certain individuals, ordering them to report immediately to the territorial military commissariats at their place of registration. Experts view these actions as a tough preemptive response by Nikol Pashinyan’s team to the Kremlin’s attempts to use the “voter transport” tactic to shift Armenia’s political course. Recall that earlier, Kirill Budanov, head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense (GUR), also warned of a high probability of direct destabilizing and aggressive hybrid actions by Russia against Armenia’s sovereignty during this election period.