Why did the number of deaths in the army increase compared to 2025? Why did the Ministry of Defense

On April 18 of this year, we sent a written request to the RA Investigative Committee, asking to provide statistics on how many deaths related to military service occurred in the army in 2026, how many were murders and how many were suicides.

On April 27, in its response to us from the investigative body had transferred the following data.

“Death of servicemen recorded in 2026 6 the incident was initiated in the main military investigative department of the RA Investigative Committee 6 criminal proceedings, of which 1-ը՝ According to Article 522 of the RA Criminal Code (causing a military serviceman to commit suicide by carelessness), 1-ը՝ Article 523 (making a military serviceman commit suicide), 3 o’clockwith Article 155 (murder), 1, according to part 3 of Article 532 (violating the rules of handling weapons, munitions, military equipment or other military property, materials, devices or objects that are more dangerous for the environment, which caused the death of a person through carelessness).

Moreover, Of the 3 murders, 1 of the criminal proceedings initiated under Article 155 is a case of sudden death, and 1 is a case of suicide, according to preliminary data obtained during the preliminary investigation.

But after this other cases of death in the army were also recorded, and as in the case of some of the ones mentioned above, the RA Ministry of Defense did not issue an official statement regarding one or two of them.

We have tried to bring together the recorded deaths, non-statutory cases and not only from the beginning of the year until now, based on the reports of the RA Investigative Committee and the RA Ministry of Defense, according to the chronology.

AND SO:

■ of 2026 on January 14 The Ministry of Defense released a message that “on January 14, at around 09:50, a soldier of the N military unit of the Ministry of Defense was found Shield of Khachatur Petrosyan Deanwith a gunshot wound.”

Later, the Investigative Committee reported that «initiated on January 14, 2026 in connection with the death of a serviceman during the preliminary investigation of the criminal proceedings, a public criminal prosecution was initiated against one person under the 2nd and 3rd points of part 2 of Article 522 of the Criminal Code (causing a military serviceman to commit suicide by carelessness)”.

■ On February 7 The Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia issued a message that “military unit N of the Ministry of Defense was discovered the body of contract soldier Davit Armen Manukyan”.

The investigative committee also reported that «contractual soldier death case on the occasion initiate is criminal proceedings», and that “a preliminary investigation is being conducted to find out the circumstances of the incident.”

■ According to the Ministry of Defense, on February 26 the body of serviceman Narek Hamleti Hakobyan was found.

The Investigative Committee later reported that “on February 26 found against 1 person during the preliminary investigation of the criminal proceedings initiated in connection with the death of a serviceman a public criminal prosecution was initiated under Article 155, Part 2, Clause 7 of the Criminal Code (murder).” The person was detained.

■ Martin there were media reports that reservists were stabbed and hospitalized in Vardenis.

Later, the RA Investigative Committee announced that a public criminal prosecution was initiated against the person conscripted in the training camp as part of the criminal proceedings initiated in connection with the injury of the conscripted reservists in the training camp. He was prosecuted under Article 520, Part 3, Clauses 2 and 3 of the Criminal Code (violence or threat of violence against a subordinate) and Article 166, Part 2, Clause 1 (causing serious harm to health).

■April: 2-in RA Investigative Committee issued a message that «Ministry of Defense on the training ground place had case criminal proceedings have been initiated in this regard, under the features of Article 550, Part 3 (military official negligence, which negligently caused the death of a person) and Article 532, Part 3 (violation of the rules for dealing with weapons, munitions, military equipment or other military property, materials, devices or objects posing a greater threat to the environment, which negligently caused the death of a person) of the Criminal Code. Contractual the soldier died is, whose name was not released.

It should be noted that the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia did not issue any message about this.

■ RA Ministry of Defense issued a message that “On April 14, serviceman Narek Arshaki Hakobyan died.”

The Investigative Committee also informed that “criminal proceedings were initiated in connection with the death of a serviceman on April 14, according to Article 523, Part 1 of the Criminal Code. (making a military serviceman commit suicide)”.

■ The Ministry of Defense reported that “on June 2 around 00:10, it was found in the N military unit of the Ministry of Defense soldier Aramais Meruzhani Gevorgyan Dean.”

The investigative committee also informed that “June 2-in In connection with the death of a serviceman, criminal proceedings have been initiated under Article 522, Part 1 of the Criminal Code. (soldier carelessly of suicide delivering)»:

■ On June 11, the RA Investigative Committee reported “stingy” information that “hunis 10-in Ministry of Defense officer N:.A:.-in: death case criminal proceedings have been initiated in this regard, a preliminary investigation is underway.” Moreover, the Ministry of Defense did not issue any message this time either.

On June 13 168.amsent a written request to the RA Investigative Committee to find out:

– where did the incident happen

– how related is it to the service?,

– to what extent do the information circulated in the press correspond to reality? the case of the officer’s death occurred at the Baghramyan military training ground during tank exercises, and that he died as a result of a shot from behind.

In other words, we tried to understand what the preliminary investigation has found so far.

In the response letter sent to us by the RA Investigative Committee within 5 days noted.

“In response to your request of June 13, 2026, we inform you that on June 10, criminal proceedings have been initiated in connection with the death of Defense Officer N.A., and a preliminary investigation is underway.

Based on the provisions of Article 186, Part 2 of the RA Criminal Procedure Code and Article 8, Part 1, Clause 3 of the RA Law “On Freedom of Information”, it is not possible to provide information regarding the other questions you mentioned, because they contain preliminary examination data that is not subject to publication.

In other words, the RA Investigative Committee keeps secret even the location of the incident and how it is directly related to the service. Can we assume that information circulated in the press can be subject to investigation?

By the way, according to our information, the father of the deceased officer is also a military man, and it is his wish that the defense department did not release a message, especially when there is a problem of finding out the circumstances of the death.

■ On June 23 the press wrote, that “Cotton during exercises in the training unit A serviceman was injured.”

The RA Ministry of Defense reported that the serviceman is under the supervision of doctors. his life is not in danger.

“We cannot disclose health and other personal data of the serviceman, because the relevant laws (on personal data and medical secrecy) do not allow it,” added the spokesperson of the RA Ministry of Defense. Thank God that we are not dealing with a case with a fatal outcome, but no matter how much we respect the right to protect personal data, which the current authorities often violate in various cases, we cannot but have various suspicions and some assumptions regarding the concealment of the circumstances of the cases.

■ Yesterday, the RA Investigative Committee announced that “on June 26 recorded contract soldier of R.Kh in case of death criminal proceedings have been initiated” and that “a forensic medical examination has been appointed during the preliminary investigation of the criminal proceedings, and other necessary investigative and procedural actions are being carried out”.

From the RA Investigative Committee, we again failed to find out where the incident took place, to what extent it is related to the service. At the same time, information is circulating in the media that we are dealing with suicide again.

“We do not provide information, we do not comment on what we have reported. I don’t know what the sites write, where they get that information from. But that is not my problem, the Investigative Committee does not comment beyond what has been said.” 168.amLater, Kima Avdalyan, the spokesperson of the President of the Central Committee, said in a conversation with

And once again there was no message from the Ministry of Defense, at least at the time of writing the article.

In other words, from the beginning of the year to this moment, June 27, it was recorded in the army 8 deaths, and several non-fatal cases. This is in the case when as RA Defense Minister Suren Papikyan had announced In 2025, we had a connection with the service 6 deaths of which 1– of lightning, 1of electrocution, 2 – suicide, 2– due to health problems, that is, there was no case of murder in 2025.

But the problem here is that first of all, incidents in military training centers have become frequent, and the RA Ministry of Defense and the RA Investigative Committee have become overly secretive, which was not the case before. What is the reason, is this a political directive?

It is not at all about whether or not to publish data containing pre-examination secrets. But there are serious problems in the army, which, of course, have their reasons, and which seem to be deepening, based on statistics.

Has the RA military leadership found out its roots, reasons, and what is being done to overcome them?

Does RA Defense Minister Suren Papikyan also see the role of “unwritten laws” “developed” by his political team and the fact that soldiers are often left close to people who are definitely not the best example for them? And this is the case when 2026 has been declared by the Ministry of Defense of Armenia as the year of combating the criminal subculture in the army.

Suren Papikyan, perhaps, does not want the non-statutory relations in the army to deepen, to have death cases, on the other hand, who should prohibit the entry of “harmful” people into the army, be they military or non-military, or tiktok-visitors.

Who should control the person who is in a state of inebriation will not be on duty, not to give weapons to random people and raise positions, so that they do not threaten the sympathizers of the opposition forces, or wait impatiently for a meeting with the weapons in their hands. Recently, user Armen Poghosyan, from the close circles of the government, made another such post on the social network, then removed the relevant post.

Does the Minister of Defense rule out that his own people would like him to fail in this and other issues… After all, the military parade took place, it did its “work” in the elections in favor of Nikol Pashinyan, a military parade where the RA military leadership and army were not at the forefront.

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