Non-combat losses continue to rise in the Armenian Armed Forces following the death of a soldier

Another case of a non-combat loss has been recorded in the Armenian Armed Forces: on Sunday, November 1, 19-year-old soldier Tigran Stepanyan was found dead with a gunshot wound on the territory of an unnamed military unit. The country's Ministry of Defense has not yet clarified the circumstances of the incident, but a number of media outlets are citing suicide as a possible version, as reported by The Armenian Mirror-Spectator.

Non-combat losses remain a persistent problem for the Armenian army. Despite the creation of a government commission to investigate such incidents, their number continues to grow. According to the Infocom publication, citing the Prosecutor General's Office, as of August 30, 2026, there were already 39 cases of non-combat deaths in the armed forces, and taking into account subsequent incidents, their total number reached 43. At the same time, official statistics from the defense ministry have not yet been released.

Human rights activists from the Vanadzor office of the Helsinki Citizens' Assembly note that the causes of murders and suicides in the troops are often related to non-statutory relationships and hazing. The organization's 2025 report recorded six cases of suicide and three murders among military personnel. Four of the six suicide episodes were recognized as a consequence related to military service.

Earlier, on September 24, a contract soldier, D. K., died as a result of an explosion under unclear circumstances, and on October 10, the body of soldier Armen Ghazaryan was found in a unit. In addition, the rise in the number of non-combat losses in August, which included the death of military personnel in traffic accidents and incidents involving incitement to suicide, led to large-scale personnel changes in the command staff. Defense Minister Suren Papikyan stated at the time that cases of suicide on the grounds of non-statutory relationships had been occurring for many years.