Surén Papikyan Discusses Death Cases in the Army and Presents Data

The Armenian Ministry of Defense is conducting extensive work to eliminate non-statutory relationships in the army. This statement was made by Armenia's Defense Minister Surén Papikyan during a live broadcast on public television.

"The greatest problem in the Armenian Armed Forces is the cases of death resulting from service, including suicides, incitement to suicide, and murder cases. When we talk about the number of casualties in non-combat conditions and refer to the statistics, we see figures that can pertain to unfortunate incidents such as road accidents, diseases, and so on. What happens in the army is also part of life. When a soldier comes to the army, he brings his own moral values with him, and our task is to eliminate those values, to turn the soldier into a disciplined individual and return him home as a human being," said Papikyan.

He noted that in Armenia in 2022, there were 193 fatal accidents, of which the Armed Forces accounted for 17 cases. In 2023, there were 204 fatal incidents recorded, with the Armed Forces contributing 12 cases.

Papikyan also addressed the military uniforms defined by NATO standards, stating that the competition for these uniforms was announced back in 2022. Currently, there are winners, and international partners are assisting the Armenian Ministry of Defense in this matter. He assured that by 2024, there will be a finalized look for the field uniform of the Armenian Armed Forces, and after the necessary legislative amendments, the sale of these uniforms will be prohibited.