Armenia’s Defense Minister Suren Papikyan announced that military deaths in 2025 decreased by 40% compared to 2024.
According to his data, 30 servicemembers died in 2025. Of these, 24 deaths were unrelated to military service, while six were linked to service-related incidents, including lightning strikes, electrocution, suicide, and health complications, Radar Armenia reported.
“This is the reality. It’s hard to call such statistics satisfying because they involve loss of life, but I must acknowledge the significant progress,” Papikyan stated.
He emphasized that no cases of homicide due to interpersonal conflicts occurred in the army. “The most important point is that no one killed another as a result of personal conflict. This is unprecedented in the history of the Third Republic,” he said.
Papikyan also described the army’s ongoing certification program as one of the most important reforms.
While widely known, many remain unfamiliar with its details, he noted. The program allows certified servicemembers to earn an additional 205,000 to 470,000 AMD in salary, which has improved perceptions of the military and boosted motivation.
Since the program’s launch, 73% of participating servicemen have passed the established threshold. “I consider this a significant result, especially since that number was much lower in the first year,” Papikyan added.
