Russian authorities have allegedly planned to transport 100,000 Armenians living in Russia to Armenia to vote for Moscow’s preferred candidate in the upcoming elections.
According to Reuters, five Western intelligence officials provided information about the alleged operation. Documents obtained by Reuters journalists reportedly also support the claims.
One source, identified as a senior U.S. official, said intelligence agencies are debating how many people Moscow could realistically transport. However, the source added that intelligence services are taking the possibility seriously.
Reuters noted that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who continues to lead in opinion polls, has moved Armenia closer to Europe and NATO, becoming an ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, who publicly endorsed Pashinyan’s reelection bid this week.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently visited Yerevan to sign agreements related to critical minerals and the TRIPP initiative, a proposed transportation corridor through Armenia that could further reduce Russian influence in the South Caucasus.
The report states that Russian President Vladimir Putin has not concealed his dissatisfaction with Pashinyan’s geopolitical shift. In recent days, Moscow has warned that Armenia could lose access to discounted natural gas supplies and has restricted imports of Armenian products, including fruits, vegetables, flowers, and brandy.
According to the publication, Russian authorities estimated the cost of transporting 100,000 voters at approximately $50 million. Three sources said the Kremlin distributed regional quotas in mid-May outlining how many Armenians each Russian region would be expected to send and requested progress reports from local administrations.
Reuters noted that it was unable to determine whether the plan is currently being implemented or whether it would significantly affect the election outcome. A recent poll showed Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party leading with approximately 30 percent support, while the Strong Armenia party ranked second with about 6 percent.
The report also recalled that in August of last year, Pashinyan signed a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan with U.S. mediation, ending decades of conflict over a disputed region. The agreement is expected to open transportation routes through southern Armenia, allowing goods to flow eastward toward Central Asia while providing Azerbaijan with direct access to its Nakhchivan exclave and Turkey.
One European official told Reuters that the Kremlin-linked bot network known as “Storm-1516,” which allegedly played a role in efforts to interfere in recent U.S. elections, has also been involved in influence campaigns targeting Armenia.
Three sources further stated that the Kremlin has enlisted Russian political consulting firms and think tanks, including the SDA Agency, which has been sanctioned by the European Union and the United Kingdom for spreading disinformation related to Ukraine.
