Armenia again mentioned a possible exit from the pro-Russian CSTO

Armenia has not yet left the CSTO. Information about the consequences of leaving the organization is a state secret. This was stated by Chief of the General Staff Edward Asryan.

Earlier, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that Armenia’s participation in the CSTO, “which is dominated by Moscow,” is frozen.

“The collective security agreement, in our opinion, was not implemented in relation to Armenia, especially in 2021-2022. We have suspended our participation in this agreement,” Pashinyan said in an interview with France24. He added that the issue of maintaining a Russian military base in Armenia is not yet on the agenda.

In addition, Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia Armen Grigoryan called the country’s dependence on Russia a strategic mistake.

Последние новости
Makhachev triumphantly defended his UFC title and raised the Russian flag
Sport
Makhachev triumphantly defended his UFC title and raised the Russian flag
16 August 2026

34-year-old Islam Makhachev, a native of Dagestan, Lak by nationality and UFC welterweight champion, defeated Irishman Ian Machado Gary at UFC 330 in Philadelphia. The fight at the Xfinity Mobile Arena lasted all five rounds.
Human rights
"They’re going to kill me": St. Petersburg lawyer of Chechen descent found with signs of strangulation
16 August 2026

Shamil Akhaev, a 44-year-old lawyer who had lost contact on August 10, has been found dead. Media outlets and online groups tracking the search reported the news on August 15. His body was discovered in a wooded area.
CSTO Secretary General Urges Armenia to Decide on Participation in the Organization Within a
Politics
CSTO Secretary General Urges Armenia to Decide on Participation in the Organization Within a "Reasonable Timeframe"
16 August 2026

It is time for Armenia to decide how it will participate in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), stated the organization's Secretary General, Taalatbek Masadykov. According to him, the issue needs to be resolved "within a reasonable timeframe."
New car sales in Russia’s North Caucasus fall by 21%
Economy
New car sales in Russia’s North Caucasus fall by 21%
16 August 2026

New car sales across Russia’s North Caucasus fell by 21% in July compared with the same month last year. The sharpest decline was recorded in Dagestan, where the new-car market nearly halved over the year.