Alleged Election Travel Scheme Emerges as Voters Are Transported From Russia to Armenia Ahead of June 7 Vote
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
EXCLUSIVE: Pro-Russian groups in Armenia are allegedly organizing the transportation of Armenian citizens from Russia to Yerevan ahead of the country’s parliamentary elections on June 7.
Screenshots obtained by The Armenian Report show activist Mika Badalyan, who is connected to the Russia-funded “Eurasia” foundation, offering to arrange free airline tickets from Moscow to Yerevan for June 4. The screenshots were provided to The Armenian Report by activist Arshak Makichyan.
After receiving the messages, Makichyan published the screenshots on social media and wrote: “I had read that Russia buys plane tickets for Russian Armenians so they can vote for pro-Kremlin candidates. As a joke, I wrote to a well-known pro-Kremlin blogger, and this was his response.”
Following the publication of the screenshots, the “Independent Observer” alliance submitted a crime report regarding the actions of Mikael Badalyan. The complaint alleges that voters traveling from Russia to Armenia were being materially incentivized in connection with the upcoming election.
According to the report, the basis for the complaint includes a publication by the “Ateo Breaking” Telegram channel as well as what was described as Badalyan’s de facto self-confession.
The allegations focus on individuals connected to the “Eurasia” foundation, which has previously been linked to pro-Russian political activity in Armenia. According to publications referenced in the complaint, financial assistance was allegedly being offered to voters traveling from Russia to Armenia before the election.
According to information available to The Armenian Report, Mikael Badalyan is currently in Russia.
Following the allegations, The Armenian Report examined available flight schedules between Russia and Armenia and found that on a daily basis nearly 30 flights operate from various Russian cities to Armenia, primarily to Yerevan. The large number of daily flights showed how travel between the two countries remains frequent and could make large-scale transportation of voters logistically possible.
The Armenian Report also attempted to determine whether this level of air traffic has remained consistent throughout the year or whether there has been any unusual increase ahead of the election period. To obtain official data, The Armenian Report contacted the staff of the Civil Aviation Committee of the Republic of Armenia.
Committee representatives stated that such information can only be provided through an official written request. The Armenian Report was instructed to submit its questions formally and was informed that a response would be provided within five days, in accordance with Armenia’s law governing access to information.
The developments come only days after Reuters reported that Western intelligence and government officials believe Russia has intensified efforts to influence Armenia’s June 7 parliamentary elections during concerns over Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s continued shift toward the West.
According to the Reuters report, alleged efforts included support for pro-Russian candidates, disinformation campaigns, and discussions about transporting Russian-Armenians to Armenia ahead of the vote.
Armenia has increasingly strengthened ties with Europe and the United States in recent years, while relations with Moscow have sharply deteriorated. Last week, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Yerevan, where several agreements were signed, including plans connected to the proposed “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin has publicly criticized Armenia’s political direction under Pashinyan, while Moscow recently imposed restrictions on several Armenian exports and warned about possible economic consequences if Armenia continues distancing itself from Russian-led structures.
Reuters also reported that several Western officials claimed Russia favors businessman Samvel Karapetyan, whose Strong Armenia alliance currently trails far behind Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party in opinion polls.
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