40 Soldiers Killed in 2024, 27 in Service-Related Incidents – Prosecutor

YEREVAN — In 2024, 40 soldiers from Armenia’s armed forces lost their lives, according to Military Prosecutor and Deputy Prosecutor General Grigor Elizbaryan.

Of these, 27 soldiers died due to service-related circumstances: four were killed by enemy fire (including four members of the Yerkrapah Volunteer Union), five were murdered (one of whom was a Yerkrapah member), and one participant in a military training exercise died in a fire. Additionally, there were seven cases of suicide or deaths resulting from incitement to suicide, four fatal road accidents, one death due to violations of combat vehicle operation rules, two deaths in an aviation accident, and three due to illness.

According to the military prosecutor, 13 soldiers died in non-service-related incidents.

This report was presented during a discussion on the work of the Military Prosecutor’s Office, attended by the Prosecutor General and the Minister of Defense.

Human rights activists focusing on military issues have long criticized the government for its ineffective management of the armed forces, which they describe as an opaque and closed system. They argue that in cases of murder or suicide within the armed forces, law enforcement typically limits its investigation to the direct perpetrators while overlooking the army’s leadership, which is ultimately responsible for the soldiers’ lives and well-being.