Crisis in the ranks: Armenian army faces chaos and rising casualties

The Armenian army is currently facing significant turmoil, prompting discussions about the potential reinstatement of retired officers into active service.

This situation was highlighted by the Yerevan newspaper "Hraparak", Caliber.Az reports.

"Recently, under Deputy Prime Minister Mger Grigoryan's guidance, the government convened to address the severe shortage of officer personnel. Armen Khachatryan, deputy chairman of the National Assembly's defence committee, suggested allowing experienced retirees to return to service while retaining their pensions. This would help ensure that military units are not led by 18- to 20-year-olds, a scenario that has contributed to an alarming rise in fatalities within the army," the publication stated.

The discussion yielded a consensus, and a set of amendments to relevant laws may soon be proposed, the report noted.

Earlier, Armenian media had already raised concerns about the troubling state of the army.

"On October 13, the body of serviceman Agasi Dallakyan was found with a gunshot wound at a military facility in Meghri. This marks the second soldier's death in non-combat circumstances this October. Recall that on October 6, Vage Arutyunyan's body was discovered; the investigation suggests he took his own life. This year, the total number of non-combat losses in the army has exceeded thirty," the media pointed out.

Further expressing alarm, Armenian news outlets highlighted the government's lack of response.

"The authorities' reaction to each new tragedy has been strikingly calm and even indifferent. It seems that cases of suicide and the deaths of servicemen in non-combat situations should serve as urgent warnings for those in power to recognize the dire nature of the circumstances.

Sadly, we must confront the reality that suicides, accidents, and killings within our army have become almost routine, with the government displaying a troubling indifference.

The army has become a reflection of a society in decline, characterized by aggression, cruelty, and a disturbing apathy toward the suffering of others, compounded by inhumane conditions for our servicemen. Some simply cannot withstand these pressures.

Ultimately, we must ask: What should recruits think as they prepare to serve, knowing that the lives and fates of soldiers seem to be of no concern to those in authority? What thoughts occupy the minds of parents sending their sons into the unknown? What should we, as a society, reflect on? Our silence is itself a form of culpable indifference," the Armenian media concluded.

By Tamilla Hasanova