At the heart of the VOMA paramilitary group in Armenia, which trains civilians in case of war

In Yerevan.
The sun is setting over Yerevan, bathing the statue of Mother Armenia perched on its hill in orange light. In the northern district of the capital, the road winds up to the meeting point. Half an hour passes. Are we in the right place? Suddenly two teenagers and rangers appear in battle fatigues. Surrounded by these bodyguards, we go down an alley that leads to a dark courtyard. Two women in uniform smoke under the windows of an abandoned building. Through the cold light, three red letters stand out on the windows: OMA or “VOMA:“- abbreviated, “the art of survival“.

When it was established in 2014, the VOMA paramilitary organization turned the site into a training center. In a huge room, rows of fake KAM-17 assault rifles rest against walls covered with camouflage nets. There are bulletproof vests on the floor next to old mattresses. In the background, the huge flag of Armenia.

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