Armenian Defense Ministry Refutes Reports Turkish Jets Approached Yerevan at Airstrike Distance

• 08.03.2020, 17:31
•  Region,  World,  Armenia

The Armenian Defense Ministry has dismissed reports alleging Turkish F-16 fighter jets approached Yerevan at an airstrike distance during joint Turkish-Azerbaijani military drills.

"The information on the air situation is false," Defense Ministry spokeswoman Shushan Stepanyan told Panorama.am.

Siting its sources, Avia.pro website reported on Sunday that at least two Turkish F-16 fighter jets flew close to the Armenian capital, being at one point only "56 kilometers away from Yerevan, which is the radius of destruction of the aircraft missiles in service with the Turkish Air Forces."

"According to sources, a pair of Turkish fighters flew in the airspace of Azerbaijan, however, the provocations did not end there; at least four helicopters of the Azerbaijani and Turkish Air Forces were seen near the Armenian border, which also approached the Armenian borders almost point-blank but did not violate it, realizing that the military would immediately open fire at both Turkish and Azerbaijani helicopters," the website said.

Turkey and Azerbaijan are holding joint large-scale military exercises from 29 July to 10 August. The drills are being held in Baku, Nakhichevan, Ganja, Kurdamir and Yevlakh.

The exercises came after Azerbaijan launched military aggression against Armenia on 12 July.