A 19-year-old Armenian serviceman has been found dead from a gunshot wound at a military unit, amid continuing concerns over non-combat fatalities in Armenia's armed forces. The soldier, identified as Tigran Stepanyan, was reportedly found dead on Sunday. Armenia's Defence Ministry has not disclosed the circumstances surrounding his death, while some local media outlets have suggested suicide as a possible cause.
The circumstances of the incident remain unclear, and no official determination regarding the cause of death has been announced. The latest case comes amid reports that more than 30 Armenian servicemen have died in non-combat circumstances since the beginning of 2026, despite government efforts to investigate such incidents. Armenian authorities previously established a commission to examine non-combat deaths within the armed forces.
However, the continued reporting of fatalities has raised questions about the effectiveness of measures intended to address the problem. According to figures published by the Helsinki Citizens' Assembly–Vanadzor, Armenia recorded 34 non-combat military deaths in 2025, including nine classified under suicide and murder and 25 attributed to other causes. The organisation's data indicates that 40 servicemen died in non-combat circumstances in 2024, including 12 cases classified as suicide and murder and 28 deaths attributed to other reasons.
Earlier figures, which also include deaths recorded in Karabakh, show that 83 non-combat fatalities were documented in 2023, compared with 64 in 2022 and 76 in 2021. Of the 83 deaths recorded in 2023, 14 were classified as suicide and murder, while 69 were attributed to other causes. Overall, the organisation's figures indicate that 297 non-combat military deaths were recorded between 2021 and 2025, including 67 classified as suicide and murder and 230 attributed to other causes.
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