Armenian authorities thwart Russia-backed coup attempt

The National Security Service of Armenia came out with the statement on Wednesday, saying it has foiled a coup plot.

That’s according to Panorama, Ukrinform reports.

The suspects involved five Armenian citizens and two former residents of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh), the Investigative Committee said in a statement.

The seven perpetrators, as well as several other unidentified persons, underwent fire training at the Arbat military base in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, ahead of the planned coup, receiving 200,000 rubles in allowances, the report reads.

Some of the recruited individuals eventually refused to take part in the violent toppling of government while the other members of the group were unable to fulfil their plans after being exposed by law-enforcers.

Three culprits have been arrested, while four others have been put on wanted list.

The investigation is working to identify all those complicit in the plot.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, on February 23, President Nikol Pashinyan said Armenia froze its participation in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), where Russia plays a dominant role, because the organization "failed to fulfill its security obligations" to the country.

Photo: Panorama am