Russia Slams Armenia’s Alen Simonyan for Welcoming Russians Fleeing Possible Mobilization
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Russia’s Foreign Ministry has sharply criticized Armenia’s newly appointed Security Council Secretary Alen Simonyan after he said Armenia would remain open to Russian citizens seeking to leave the country if Moscow announces another mobilization.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova called Simonyan’s remarks “provocative” and accused Armenian officials of making statements that damage relations with Moscow.
Simonyan made the comments in an interview with TV Rain after being asked whether Armenia would accept another wave of Russians trying to avoid being sent to the front.
He said Armenian authorities would not question Russian citizens about why they were entering the country and noted that Russians can travel to Armenia using internal passports.
“No one at the border is going to ask anyone why they came here,” Simonyan said. “To Russians, all I can say is: ‘Welcome to Armenia.’”
He added that Russian citizens would be free to stay in Armenia and return home when they choose.
“Armenia won’t stand in their way, and if they need help, we’ll help,” he said.
Zakharova responded by accusing Simonyan of engaging with speculation about a new Russian mobilization that Moscow has repeatedly denied.
She also said his remarks encouraged Russian citizens to break the law and gave what she described as a political tone to Armenia’s traditional hospitality.
The Russian Foreign Ministry tied Simonyan’s comments to what it described as a broader pattern of statements from Yerevan that undermine bilateral relations.
Zakharova also pointed to Simonyan’s February 2026 visit to Russia, when he spoke about the importance of Armenian-Russian ties. She said his latest remarks showed what Moscow sees as the Armenian government’s growing alignment with the West and Ukraine.
Russian officials have denied reports that another mobilization is being prepared.
Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, said Aug. 28 that Moscow had no plans to launch a new mobilization and argued that Russia has enough troops serving under military contracts.
Reports about a possible new call-up have continued to circulate in Russian independent media and among Ukrainian officials. The Kremlin has dismissed the reports as false.
The issue is closely watched in Armenia because the country became one of the main destinations for Russians who left after Moscow announced a partial mobilization in September 2022.
Armenia and Russia have also seen their relationship deteriorate in recent years as Yerevan has moved to deepen political and security ties with Western partners.
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