The General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia has issued a statement on the deaths recorded this year. Armenpress has presented the statement by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia.

“Out of the 13 deaths of servicemen (fixed-term and contractual servicemen, officers) recorded in the Armed Forces between January 1 and February 17, 2020, 4 were caused by accidents, 4 were linked to circumstances not connected to military service (disease, personal matters), and there are criminal cases instituted in regard to the remaining 5 (circumstances are being clarified).

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia urges the media, public and political figures, experts and “analysts” to refrain from speculating the deaths in the army and calls on the public to avoid reading misinformation and follow the official news in order to not be manipulated.

It is clear that any incident in the army sparks great reactions among the public, especially when they lead to deaths. We assure that all cases are thoroughly and comprehensively examined, investigated by the relevant bodies, the conclusions are drawn, and everything is done to make sure the omissions are fixed. We urge everyone to be patient and refrain from being sentimental, be alert and maximally careful when making statements in the media, on social networks and on other platforms.

The death of every soldier is a great loss and pain for the commanders of the Armed Forces. Once again, we express condolences to the families of all the deceased servicemen and wish them patience. We assure you that the efficiency of the servicemen is at a high level, and we continue to meet our combat objectives unwaveringly.”