Armenia, Armenian community in Ukraine deliver 10 tons of medical equipment to Ukrainian military hospital

Representatives of the Union of Armenians of Ukraine and the Armenian Embassy in Ukraine delivered 10 tons of medical equipment to one of Ukraine's main military hospitals on Feb. 9, Ukraine's Defense Ministry said.

Armenia has long been an ally of Russia, especially vis-a-vis its primary regional foe Azerbaijan, and has thus largely refrained from getting involved in Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine. The calculus changed after Russian "peacekeepers" failed to prevent Azerbaijan's offensive into the Nagorno-Karabakh region, primarily populated by ethnic Armenians, in September 2023.

Armenia delivered its first batch of humanitarian aid to Ukraine that same month. The country's relationship with Russia has deteriorated since the offensive and subsequent collapse of the unrecognized ethnic Armenian Nagorno-Karabakh republic.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said earlier in February that Armenia's defense strategy cannot rely on Russia as it used to.

"At this difficult time for Ukraine, when a full-scale war has been going on for almost two years, Armenia offers a helping hand," said Armenia's ambassador to Ukraine, Vladimir Karapetyan.

Karapetyan also said that up to 12,000 ethnic Armenians are fighting with Ukraine's military, including Armenians with Ukrainian citizenship. Estimates of Ukraine's Armenian population vary but range from 100,000 to 400,000.

More than 300 ethnic Armenians have been awarded medals for military heroism, Karapetyan said.

The medical equipment has a variety of uses, the defense ministry said.

Pashinyan: Armenia cannot rely on Russia, needs to consider other partners

Armenia cannot rely on Russia in terms of defense cooperation as it used to and needs to consider security relations with the U.S., France, India, and other states, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Feb. 1, Armenpress reported.

The Kyiv IndependentMartin Fornusek