A contract serviceman was found dead at his place of residence on August 25, marking the fifth reported death involving an Armenian serviceman since August 13.
The serviceman was reportedly found hanged at a livestock farm. He had been serving under the “Defender of the Fatherland” program and was expected to report to his military unit for duty that day.
The Defense Ministry confirmed that he was not on duty at the time and said the death was unrelated to his military service.
“The case cannot be classified as an incident that occurred in the army,” the ministry said.
The ministry then criticized media coverage of the recent deaths, claiming that such reporting negatively affects the morale and psychological state of the armed forces and creates unnecessary tension among servicemen and their families. It called on media outlets to refrain from what it described as “targeting the army.”
The ministry’s criticism came one day after Pashinyan and Defense Minister Suren Papikyan addressed the deaths in Parliament. Pashinyan linked part of the problem to conditions created by what he called “peace,” while Papikyan said he could not explain the recent concentration of deaths and pushed back against holding the defense minister responsible.
The deaths come amid a broader rise in non-combat fatalities. The Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor recorded 36 such deaths in 2024 and 35 in 2025. In the first seven months of 2026 alone, it recorded 30 servicemen’s deaths, all in non-combat conditions. By August 24, the number had reached 34.
The August 25 case would bring the number of reported servicemen’s deaths in non-combat conditions this year to 35, although the Defense Ministry says the latest death was unrelated to military service.
The repeated deaths also raise serious questions about the mental health and psychological well-being of servicemen. At a time when Pashinyan’s government repeatedly speaks of “peace,” greater attention must be paid to the conditions in which servicemen live and serve, and to whether they are receiving adequate psychological support.
