On 21 March, during a transfer from one combat post to another at a military unit of the RA Armed Forces under severe blizzard conditions, contact was lost with contract servicemen K. Shakhnazaryan and A. Hovhannisyan.
The RA Ministry of Defence reported that extensive search-and-rescue operations had been launched the same day, hampered by the relentless blizzard. On 22 March, in the second half of the day, the location of the servicemen was determined. All necessary measures were undertaken to evacuate the servicemen.
After carrying out the evacuation under extremely difficult weather conditions, K. Shakhnazaryan was transferred to a military hospital. His condition is assessed as serious. Unfortunately, A. Hovhannisyan’s life could not be saved.
The Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Armenia shares the heavy grief of the loss and expresses its solidarity with the family members, relatives and comrades-in-arms of the fallen serviceman.
Materials are being prepared at the Military Police to clarify the circumstances of the incident.
