Aram Torosyan on Death Cases, Causes, and Statistics in the Army

During the reporting period of 2026, 11 death cases were recorded in the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia, five of which were among conscripts. This was reported by Aram Torosyan, the press secretary of the Ministry of Defense, in an interview with Armenpress.

According to him, the cases of death among servicemen should be analyzed by separating military-related circumstances from non-military ones, as each incident requires individual scrutiny and analysis.

Torosyan noted that the Ministry of Defense also publicizes the deaths of individuals that have occurred due to non-service-related circumstances, such as illness, traffic accidents, or other reasons. "In the press, we often encounter publications stating that there have been 30 deaths in the army over the year, but no one mentions how many of these 30 occurred directly in the army, which ones are related to service, and which are not," said the press secretary.

He claimed that discussions about an increase in death cases in the army are not substantiated by the statistics available to the Ministry of Defense. "If we talk about the reporting period for this year, we had 11 deaths, of which only five were conscripts. We had deaths due to illness, due to mine explosions, and as for the suicides that occurred this year, I should note that only three took place under circumstances related to service," stated Torosyan.

According to the data provided by the press secretary, in the reporting period of 2026, there were 2 cases of murder, 2 cases of inciting suicide, and 4 cases of suicide. He mentioned that of the six cases of suicide and incitement to suicide, three did not occur as a result of non-regulation relationships.

Torosyan also pointed out that among the 11 death cases recorded in the reporting period of 2026, 2 occurred under service-related circumstances.

Commenting on data from previous years, the press secretary mentioned that in 2007, there were 15 cases of murder, suicide, and incitement to suicide related to service, while in 2016, there were 19. He noted that no murder cases were recorded in 2025, but there were 6 deaths registered under service-related circumstances, two of which were incitements to suicide.

The press secretary examined the issue of suicides in the army within the broader context of suicide cases recorded in the country. According to the data he presented, there were 179 suicides recorded in Armenia in 2024, 199 in 2025, and 94 in the first half of 2026.

Torosyan emphasized that information regarding the deaths of servicemen is usually published by both the Ministry of Defense and the Investigative Committee. He underscored that providing legal assessments of specific incidents is not the function of the Ministry of Defense.

He also refuted claims that the ministry does not express condolences to the families of deceased servicemen, noting that representatives of the Ministry of Defense communicate with families and express their support and condolences.

What Measures Are Being Implemented for Prevention?

According to Torosyan, daily activities are conducted in the armed forces to prevent murders, suicides, suicide attempts, and self-mutilation. Relevant work is carried out with servicemen at risk, and special attention is paid to their psychological well-being in military units.

Methodological guidelines for preventing self-mutilation, suicides, and non-regulation relationships have been developed and are being implemented. Weekly analytical and informational materials regarding incidents and cases are sent to military units to discuss causes and prevent the recurrence of such events.

According to the Ministry of Defense, regular meetings, retraining, and seminars for officers-psychologists and deputy commanders of military units in the moral and psychological support line are also conducted. Torosyan stressed that the army is an inseparable part of society, and the issues within the armed forces should be studied deeply, with each case approached individually.