Armenian soldier found dead as spate of non-combat deaths continues

An Armenian soldier has been found dead from a gunshot wound at an undisclosed military unit, in the latest non-combat death recorded in the Armenian military. Despite the government forming a commission to investigate non-combat deaths, the number of such deaths continues to rise, with more than 30 occurring in 2026 alone.

Non-combat deaths are a recurring issue in the Armenian army. The Helsinki Citizens Assembly Vanadzor reported in 2025 that although the number of deaths has decreased, the percentage of suicides and attempted suicides are still high in the overall death toll. The report also highlights that the causes of murder and suicide in the armed forces are often connected to a culture of military hazing. Although the Armenian government claims that some of the deaths are not connected to military service and therefore cannot be included in army death statistics, OC Media reported four non-combat deaths in August alone.

The Defence Ministry did not specify the circumstances surrounding the most recent case involving 19-year-old soldier Tigran Stepanyan, who was found dead on Sunday. However, some media reports have suggested suicide as a possible scenario.

On 24 September, a contracted soldier, identified only as D.K., was killed in an explosion in unclear circumstances.

On 10 October, another soldier, Armen Ghazaryan, was found dead with a gunshot wound at a military unit. Although the Ministry did not release a statement about the cause of his death, locals from Ghazaryan’s home village of Ranchpar told RFE/RL that the official explanation is suicide, but they expressed scepticism over the report.

The Helsinki Citizens Assembly Vanadzor’s report states that six suicides and three murders among service members were recorded in 2025. Of the six cases classified as suicide or driving to suicide, four were considered to be related to military service and two were not.

In August, a 37-year-old soldier died in unspecified conditions. Just a week prior, a soldier was killed, and six others were injured after a lorry hit them on the road in Armenia’s Gegharkunik province. Earlier in August, one person was arrested and is suspected to have incited a fellow soldier to commit suicide.  The incident triggered major reshuffles in the army following a rise in non-combat deaths this year.

After the deaths in August, Defence Minister Suren Papikyan stated that although statistics are not a correct way to address the army deaths, historical army statistics demonstrate that suicides and similar cases have occurred consistently over the years due to criminal activities within the army. Papikyan claimed that the Defence Ministry did not get blamed for such deaths in the past.

Infocom reports that according to the Prosecutor General’s Office, 39 non-combat deaths in the army had been recorded by 30 August 2026. Combined with the four that occurred after this date, this brings the total to 43. The Defence Ministry has not yet published its official statistics.