Allegations Surface of Russian Plan to Influence Armenian Elections Allegations that Moscow is trying to fly in tens of thousands of Armenians to swing this weekend’s election have turned Armenia’s vote into a proxy fight over sovereignty—complete with threats of military call‑ups at the airport.

Moscow’s play: ballots by the planeload

According to reporting based on multiple sources, Russian authorities allegedly drew up a plan to transport around 100,000 Armenian citizens from Russia so they could vote against Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in the June 7 parliamentary elections, at an estimated cost of $50 million. The operation is framed as part of a broader toolkit of pressure that includes disinformation and economic levers.

That influence campaign has already been visible in the information space. An investigation describes how a Moscow‑registered outlet targeting Armenians in Russia pumped out lurid narratives like “Pashinyan’s Illness,” “Upcoming War with Russia,” and even “Gas Chambers on Ararat,” portraying looming chaos and catastrophe around the vote.

Yerevan’s counter: vote and drill

Armenian authorities are responding with an unusually hard edge. Officials warned that citizens flying in from Russia to vote “for bribes” will be sent to 25‑day military training exercises, with criminal prosecution threatened for those who refuse. Military police have reportedly been checking male arrivals at Yerevan’s Zvartnots Airport and handing out summons, assisting commissariats in registering military‑age citizens and calling them up for service and reservist training.

The same reports link the alleged vote‑buying scheme to businessman Samvel Karapetyan, described as having close ties to Russia. Meanwhile, Moscow has banned a swath of Armenian exports—from flowers and Jermuk mineral water to fruits and fish—adding trade pressure to the political drama.

Democracy caught in the crossfire

Opposition‑leaning investigations cast the episode as a Kremlin attempt to “flood” Armenia with fakes and imported voters; the government presents its response as a defense of electoral integrity and national security. Between alleged mass flights and airport draft notices, Armenian democracy is being stress‑tested not just at the ballot box, but at the border.