YEREVN — A military parade dedicated to Republic Day was held in Yerevan’s Republic Square, featuring various units of the Armenian Armed Forces, cadets from military educational institutions, special forces, and peacekeeping troops.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had earlier said that the May 28 event would be less of a traditional parade and more of a report to citizens, displaying only weapons and equipment acquired since 2022.
“We are marking Republic Day 2026 under entirely new historical circumstances. After nearly 35 years of conflict, peace has been established between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan,” Pashinyan said in his address at the parade.
“The established peace, its further institutionalization, the development and strengthening of the legal foundations of the state, the transformation of Armenia from a dead end of conflict into a Crossroads of Peace — including through the implementation of the TRIPP project — as well as ensuring the security, freedom, and welfare of citizens, are our strategic priorities,” he said.
Pashinyan said that in conditions of peace, the army remains one of the most important state institutions.
“Today, the Armenian army is not a factor of war, but a factor of peace, because a country without a defensive and strong army may become tempting for attack,” he said.
“We cannot put ourselves in such a situation. Today, on the occasion of Republic Day 2026, it is an honor for us to present to the people of Armenia the results we have achieved since 2022,” the prime minister added.
“Today we present to you the new army of the Republic of Armenia — with new weapons, new uniforms, and a new ideology. The core of that ideology is the following: the army’s only mission is to defend the internationally recognized sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia. Our army must not be used outside Armenia’s internationally recognized territory, except for peacekeeping missions carried out on the basis of international treaties,” Pashinyan said.
During the parade, Armenia displayed new weapons acquired from various countries in recent years. Some of the acquisitions had been known in narrow expert circles, while other weapons systems were shown publicly for the first time.
The state flag of the Republic of Armenia, the battle flag of the Armed Forces, and the Holy Cross of Ashot Yerkat, the guardian symbol of the Armenian army, were brought to Republic Square. Participating units appeared in new combat uniforms.
For the first time, the parade showcased the Armenian army’s newest defensive weapons and military equipment.
Among the systems displayed were modern four-legged “Wolf” reconnaissance-strike robotic systems, designed to carry out reconnaissance, detection, target identification, fire support, and the transport of ammunition and other supplies in various climatic and difficult terrain conditions.
Also presented were sapper protective suits intended to protect soldiers during demining and explosive ordnance disposal operations. Electronic warfare troops entered Republic Square under the command of Colonel Gevorg Ghambaryan. The “Marakhugh” system was displayed, designed to detect aerial targets and suppress satellite navigation systems used by them.
The parade also featured a mechanized column of special forces led by Colonel Poghos Petrosyan, a recipient of the “Combat Service” medal. The column included Bastion armored vehicles armed with 12.7 mm M2 machine guns.
Various artillery, anti-tank, anti-aircraft missile, and unmanned systems were also presented, including TOS-1A, Tor-M2KM, Karich, Lusan, Vahan-200, Kornet-M, Nizak, Shant, Aramazd, Mihr, Atlant, and other systems.
Armenian Armed Forces aircraft flew over Republic Square, including Mi-17 helicopters, Su-30SM fighter jets, and Su-25 aircraft.
The ceremonial parade concluded with children entering the square carrying doves of peace.
