Armenian authorities  banned Russia from providing humanitarian aid  to Artsakh refugees 

ArmInfo. Armenian authorities have banned Russia from providing humanitarian aid to  refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova  confirmed this information  during her weekly briefing on March 12.

"We have noticed reports that Yerevan has denied Russia's initiative  to provide humanitarian aid to internally displaced persons from  Karabakh. I have already received questions: confirm or deny. To  avoid speculation, we did not intend to comment publicly, but given  that questions have already been raised, I will go deep into the  topic," Zakharova said. 

The Russian diplomat emphasized in this regard that Russia has never  abandoned people, including those in the aforementioned region,  without assistance and aid. "It has not remained indifferent to the  fate of the Karabakh people living in Armenia. Moscow was, in fact,  one of the first to send humanitarian aid to the country. Although,  even then, for some reason, Yerevan was not particularly happy with  this assistance from Russia. It even got to the point, I recall, that  official channels would say, 'Thank you, but no thanks!' And now  there's a new refusal to continue supporting the Karabakh people  through the Russian Humanitarian Mission, Eurasia, and  Rossotrudnichestvo," the Russian Foreign Ministry representative  noted.

Zakharova recalled that the campaign was launched in June-July 2025  in response to an appeal from Armenian public organizations.  According to her, during this period, assistance has been provided to  nearly 7,000 families. "What was given to the displaced persons that  should be discarded? Food, essential goods, and specialized baby kits  were donated. Do you know how much was donated? About 140 tons. It's  no small feat that addressing basic needs allowed people, as well as  the Armenian authorities, to focus more on more pressing issues like  housing, employment, and social reintegration. All of this is the  absolute and unconditional responsibility of local authorities, and  the humanitarian aid was supposed to help them focus on the most  pressing goals. But the main thing isn't that; it's helping people,"  the Russian diplomat added.

She also noted that some of the goods were purchased in Armenia,  which provided additional incentives for local producers. She also  expressed her belief that Yerevan's refusal would be understandable  if there was no need for this assistance. Meanwhile, according to  Zakharova, citizens' requests for assistance only grew.  "The reason  Yerevan refused to approve the aid shipment raises more questions  than it answers. I'll quote:  'Armenian legal norms restrict the  provision of donations and charitable assistance during the  pre-election period.' I won't hide the fact that we tried to clarify  what this was all about, but the Armenian side was at a loss to  explain,"  the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, added,  expressing bewilderment at the Armenian authorities' reasoning. She  humorously noted that the humanitarian aid was in no way connected to  the election campaign; moreover, the Russian side hadn't particularly  emphasized the issue. "It's clear that Yerevan's refusal to provide  purely charitable and non-politically motivated humanitarian aid is  driven by the authorities' pre-election desire to literally erase all  mention of Russia. Who are they making it worse for? For their  own  citizens, who genuinely need it and who have always received  assistance? And how will they explain to the people who want this  assistance that Russia allegedly refused to provide it? It's not  necessary; just tell it like it is," she concluded.

Earlier, Armenian authorities at various levels expressed  dissatisfaction with the assistance provided by Russia to refugees  from Artsakh. During a meeting with Russian Ambassador Sergey  Kopyrkin, Armenian Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Arsen  Torosyan stated that all such assistance should be channeled through  the Armenian authorities.

It should be added that the Artsakh residents who fled their homes  amid Azerbaijani aggression in September 2023 are now literally  abandoned to their fate by the Armenian authorities. Videos depicting  the refugees' plight are increasingly appearing on social media.  However, the Armenian authorities are deaf to the issues of the  Artsakh residents and consider their mission to these people  fulfilled. The Artsakh authorities are trying to assist their most  vulnerable compatriots through philanthropists and Armenian  businessmen.