The Kremlin is reportedly considering a plan to mobilize 100,000 Armenians living in Russia to vote against Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in the upcoming parliamentary elections, according to the Operative Information Center-OMM, citing Reuters.
Reports indicate that in recent months, Russian officials have discussed strategies to transport Armenian citizens residing in Russia back to their homeland to cast ballots for opponents of the incumbent Prime Minister. According to sources cited by the agency, Russian authorities have estimated the cost of transporting these 100,000 voters at approximately $50 million. By mid-May, the Kremlin had reportedly distributed quotas among Russian regions, specifying the number of Armenians to be sent from each area, and demanded reports from local authorities regarding their preparations.
While Reuters journalists could not independently verify whether this plan is being actively implemented or if such a number of voters would be sufficient to alter the outcome between the main candidates, the report highlights significant geopolitical tensions surrounding the electoral process. Parliamentary elections in Armenia are scheduled for June 7. Such reports underscore the complex and often volatile nature of regional political dynamics, where external influence and diaspora engagement play critical roles in the domestic political landscapes of South Caucasus nations.
