Artsakh Defence Army

History

Establishment

The Artsakh Defence Army was founded on 9 May 1992. It created "its own central command and military structure distinct from the Armenian Army." Its founders included Robert Kocharyan (the former President of Armenia, he was the first commander-in-chief of the Army); Serzh Sargsyan (former Prime Minister and President of Armenia); Vazgen Sargsyan (Armenia's Defence Minister 1992–93, State Minister in Charge of defence 1993–95, Armenia's Prime Minister 1998–99); Monte Melkonian (responsible for Martuni Province); Samvel Babayan (Nagorno-Karabakh's Defence Minister from 1994 to 2000) and others. Many of the men who served in its ranks and in the officer corps during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War were seasoned veterans of the Soviet military and had fought in the Soviet–Afghan War.

First Nagorno-Karabakh War

Main article: First Nagorno-Karabakh War, Armenian volunteer units during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War

The formal formation of the NKR Defence Army was rooted in the concept of the Jokat (volunteer detachment). With the early outbreak of hostilities prior to 1992, Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh began forming small detachments of volunteers, often self-described as Fedayeen, inheriting the name of the fighters who actively resisted the Ottoman Empire in the final decades of the nineteenth and early decades of the twentieth centuries.

At the outset these detachments were small groups of no more than 12–40 men. For example, during Operation Ring, Shahumyan was defended by a force as small as 22 men under the command of Tatul Krpeyan. These volunteer militia would initially arm themselves with whatever was available, including hunting shotguns borrowed from local farmers and even home-made rifles. In the later stages of the war, these units armed themselves with AK-47s, RPGs and sometimes MANPADs, transforming the defence force into a highly mobile and flexible force that was capable of waging guerrilla warfare. Likewise, these units initially had no heavy military equipment, but later started taking over large quantities of Azerbaijani tanks and armored personnel carriers that were abandoned on the battlefield. Most of these captured tanks and APCs later became part of the NKR Defense Army's equipment. Improvization, multi-functionality, creativity, strong-morale, focus on defensive tactics, adaptation, flexibility, high-mobility and a native knowledge of the mountainous terrain were all important factors in understanding the combat success of these small units.

The initial purpose of these detachments, made up of volunteers, was mainly to defend Armenian civilian population, each in a particular village or town. Each of them was operating independently with no central command or leadership. Yet, these units would regularly collaborate in joint operations such as the battle of Khojaly in February 1992 or the June 1992 surprise counter-offensives during Operation Goranboy. The increasing scale and intensity of Azerbaijani attacks, the devastation caused by Grad multiple rocket launchers firing from Shusha and the Lachin, the blockade from mainland Armenia had broadened the notion of security beyond the mere defence of a small village. Capturing Shusha and Lachin as well as turning the tide of Operation Goranboy became, for the Armenians, not only a matter of security, but that of survival. For the successful conduct of such large-scale operations, the detachments had to be consolidated under a single, unified command.

Mient Jan Faber argues that "August 1992 marked the watershed between purely voluntary Armenian Karabakh forces reinforced by volunteers from Armenia and an organised NKR army with its own central command and a military structure distinct from the Armenian army."

Post war

The Nagorno-Karabakh Defence Army's primary role after the conclusion of the First Nagorno-Karabakh War in 1994 was the protection of the NKR from foreign and domestic threats. Though the war ended with the signing of a cease fire between Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan and the de facto independence of the NKR, the Azerbaijani leadership repeatedly threatened to restart hostilities to retake the region. Violations of the cease fire along the line of contact were frequent and often resulted in the deaths of several soldiers and civilians each year. One of the most significant breaches of the ceasefire occurred in Martakert on 8 March 2008, when up to sixteen soldiers were killed. Both sides accused the other of starting the battle. In June 2010, new skirmishes broke out between Armenian and Azerbaijani troops along the line of contact, resulting in the deaths of four Armenian servicemen. Clashes in summer 2014 resulted in the deaths of six Armenian and thirteen Azerbaijani servicemen. On 12 November 2014, a Nagorno-Karabakh Defence Army Mi-24 attack helicopter participating in the week-long joint Armenian–NKR Unity 2014 military exercises was shot down by the Azerbaijani military, killing all three crew members. On 1 April 2016 large scale clashes began along the line of contact, which lasted for four days and came to be known as the Four-Day War. According to several sources they were the worst since 1994. These clashes culminated in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, in which the Artsakh Defence Army was defeated while fighting against the military of Azerbaijan and Turkey. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Erdogan admitted that Turkey provided military and diplomatic backing to Azerbaijan during the fighting. During the war, Turkey sent a number of Syrian opposition fighters as mercenaries to fight against Armenian forces, including fighters from Sultan Murad Division and Hamza Division.

In May 2021, President Arayik Harutyunyan announced planned to transform the Defense Army into a professional combat force.

It was disbanded on 21 September 2023 following the 2023 Nagorno-Karabakh clashes, as one of the conditions imposed by Azerbaijan to end the clashes.

Structure

The Ministry of Defence served as the chief administrative body of the Defence Army.

Chiefs of Staff

• Lieutenant General Anatoly Zinevich (1994–1997)
• Major General Kamo Vardanyan (until 11 September 2021)

Defense Districts

The five Defense Districts were the following:

Central Defense District

NKR self-defense detachments were formed on 22 February 1988. At the end of 1991 and at the beginning of 1992, more than ten volunteer detachments and detachments were formed in Stepanakert and included more than a thousand fighters. Motorized regiments were then formed on the basis of the following structure:

• 1st Motorized Rifle Battalion
• 2nd Motorized Rifle Battalion
• 3rd Motorized Rifle Battalion

In September 1989, the Central Defense District (also known as the Stepanakert Defense District) was formed on the basis of those battalions. The 8th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade was part of the district, being formed on 14 October 1992. It was named after "Commander Vazgen Sargsyan".

Hadrut Defense District

Its first battalion was formed on 16 July 1992. The district was formed in September 1992, in accordance with the order of the Chairman of the Committee for Self-Defense of the Artsakh Republic in August 1992.

Martuni Defense District

It was formed in September 1991 by the order of the President on the basis of self-defense detachments and platoon operating in the region. The Mataghis Military Unit was part of the district. It was based in the Madagiz settlement of the Martakert Province. In May 2017, the commander and two deputies of the military unit were dismissed after 3 soldiers drowned after their UAZ-315195 vehicle fell into a reservoir. Among its notable commanders was Mikael Arzumanyan, serving as the commander of the unit at the age of 22.

Shahumyan Defensive Region

The Yeghnikner ("The Deers") Detachment was founded on 11 March 1993 and was considered to be one of the most elite units of the army of the unrecognized republic. It originated from a partisan unit created by Shahen Meghryan, which was formed on 25 June 1992 from self-defense detachments of the district villages. Among its symbols were the coat of arms of the Meliks of Gulistan and its unit banner. The Shahumyan Defensive Region (SDR) was formed by the Chairman of the Self Defense Committee in March 1993, originally incorporating two battalions Between 1993 and 1994, SDR units participated in battles and operations in Martakert and Shahumyan.

On 2 October 2021, President Arayik Harutyunyan conferred the title of Hero of Artsakh on the commander of the Yeghnikner unit Karen Jalavyan. After the 2020 war, rumors on the Internet claimed that the unit had to leave its positions, which was denied by the commander.

Askeran Defense District

Askeran Defense District was formed by the order of the NKR IPC President of August 14, 1992. There were 4 rifle battalions in the district:

• 1st Rifle Battalion
• 2nd Rifle Battalion
• 3rd Rifle Battalion
• 4th Rifle Battalion

Personnel

According to Richard Giragosian, the Artsakh Defence Army in 2009 was composed of around 20,000 officers and soldiers and maintained a "constant state of readiness, undergoing more serious combat training and operational exercises than any other former Soviet army." The Nagorno-Karabakh Defence Army maintained a small air force with a personnel of around 250 men. While the NKDA did not formally disclosed personnel numbers, the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) estimated that the NKDA had 12,000 personnel prior to its defeat in September 2023. The IISS also stated that the regular Army was supported by volunteers and irregular troops.

Personnel units

Special Forces

The Special Forces of the Artsakh Defense Army was established in 2000. Based on the previous National Guard, it carries out both of planned and unplanned combat operations. Among its notable commanders were Samvel Harutyunyan. On 11 August 2010, a memorial fountain was unveiled in Aygestan community of Askeran region on August 10 in memory of the fallen soldiers of the Special Forces. The memorial was built with the financial means of the former and current servicemen of the detachment. Their professional holiday was on 5 November.

Engineer Battalion

The Defense Army had an engineering battalion that was involved in the clearance of minefields of strategic importance. It was formed on 1 February 1995. Roles Aghajanyan was the first head of the Defence Army engineering services.

Educational institutions

• Vazgen Sargsyan Military University
• Kristapor Ivanyan Military College
• Armenak Khanperyants Military Aviation University
• Yerevan State Medical University Military Faculty

Equipment

The Nagorno-Karabakh Defence Army's equipment consisted of infantry, tanks, artillery and anti-aircraft systems. The Karabakh army's heavy military hardware included: 186Hans-Joachim Schmidt, "Military Confidence Building and Arms Control in Unresolved Territorial Conflicts ", PRIF Reports No 89, Frankfurt am Main, 2009, p.12. tanks, 68 armoured vehicles, 98 artillery pieces of calibres over 122mm, 44 multiple rocket launchers (most likely BM-21 Grad), and an anti-aircraft defence system of an unspecified type

As for infantry, most relied on the AK-74 rifle and older AKMs in reserve for standard-issue rifles. Other basic weapons consisted of Makarov PM pistols, PK machine guns, and RPG-7 rocket launchers, all mostly supplied by Armenia. The Nagorno-Karabakh military was deeply integrated with the Armenian military, and the NKR depended on the Armenian Army to ensure its survival as an independent national entity. Armenia considered any act of aggression against Karabakh as an act of aggression against itself.

Ground Forces

The NKDA relied mostly on weapons supplied by Armenia until 2020 in addition to Soviet-era stocks. In the aftermath of the 2023 Azerbaijani offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh, the Azerbaijanis reported that large weapon caches were seized.

Small arms

Vehicles and artillery

Air Force

The table below lists aircraft of Artsakh Defence Army Air Force, also known as Nagorno-Karabakh Defence Army Air Force. The data is from World Air Forces 2026 publication, which still in 2025 lists aircraft of Nagorno-Karabakh Defence Army Air Force (under "Armenia" section, see ) even though Nagorno-Karabakh Defence Army has been dissolved since September 2023. Naturally the current status, wheabouts or even existence of the aircraft listed is questionable as of late 2025.

Military holidays

Shushi Liberation Day (9 May) and Homeland Defender's Day (28 January) were two military holidays celebrated by the Defence Army. The former commemorates the founding of the military as well as the Capture of Shusha and the traditional Victory Day celebrations commemorating the surrender of Nazi Germany at the end of the Great Patriotic War in 1945. Because of this, it was sometimes referred to as a "triple holiday". An annual military parade was held in the capital, with a reception being held at the local House of Officers in the capital.

Whereas the Armenian Army celebrated Army Day on 28 January, the Defence Army celebrated Homeland Defender's Day on the same day.

References

Bibliography

References

1. Blandy, C. W. "[http://mercury.ethz.ch/serviceengine/Files/ISN/87342/ipublicationdocument_singledocument/a89cdf88-ead4-40f1-8fc1-dd35b766ff72/en/08_may.pdf Azerbaijan: Is War Over Nagornyy Karabakh a Realistic Option?] {{Webarchive. link. (2016-04-15)
2. (2023-09-20). "Azerbaijan Ends Fighting in Disputed Region as Armenians Concede". Bloomberg.com.
3. Dzelilovic, Vesna Bojicic. "From Humanitarianism to Reconstruction: Towards an Alternative Approach to Economic and Social Recovery from War" in ''Global Insecurity (Restructuring the Global Military Sector)'', Vol. 3, eds. [[Mary Kaldor]] and Basker Vashee. London: Pinter, 2000, p. 79.
4. De Waal, Thomas. (2003). "Black Garden: Armenia and Azerbaijan Through Peace and War". New York University Press.
5. Melkonian, Markar. (2005). "[[My Brother's Road". I. B. Tauris.
6. [[Richard Giragosian. Giragosian, Richard]]. "Armenia and Karabakh: One Nation, Two States." ''[[Armenian General Benevolent Union. AGBU Magazine]]'' 19/1 (May 2009), pp. 12–13.
7. See Melkonian. ''My Brother's Road'', p. 225.
8. Mient Jan Faber in [[Mary Kaldor]], ''Global Insecurity: Restructuring the Global Military Sector, volume III'' UNU/WIDER, London and New York: Pinter, 2000, p. 79. {{ISBN. 9781855676442.
9. "[http://asbarez.com/82329/azeri-assault-on-karabakh-outpost-kills-four-armenian-soldiers/ Azeri Assault on Karabakh Outpost Kills Four Armenian Soldiers] {{Webarchive. link. (25 June 2010 ." ''Asbarez''. 21 June 2010. Retrieved 22 June 2010.)
10. Yevgrashina, Lada and Hasmik Mkrtchyan. "[http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L0572597.htm Azeris, Armenians spar after major Karabakh clash] {{Webarchive. link. (7 March 2008 ". [[Reuters]]. 5 March 2008. Retrieved 10 March 2008.)
11. "[http://www.rferl.org/content/OSCE_EU_Condemn_Karabakh_Armed_Incident/2079009.html OSCE, EU Condemn Karabakh 'Armed Incident'] {{Webarchive. link. (27 August 2016 ." ''[[Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty). RFE/RL]]''. 22 June 2010. Retrieved 22 June 2010.
12. (10 December 2020). "Turkey's Erdogan, at Nagorno-Karabakh parade, says Armenia needs new leaders". Reuters.
13. (9 December 2020). "Erdogan admitted that Turkey supported Azerbaijan in the war against Artsakh".
14. (10 December 2020). "The Syrian mercenaries used as 'cannon fodder' in Nagorno-Karabakh". BBC News.
15. (28 September 2020). "Syrian rebel fighters prepare to deploy to Azerbaijan in sign of Turkey's ambition". The Guardian.
16. (30 September 2020). "Nagorno-Karabakh: At least three Syrian fighters killed | Armenia | the Guardian". The Guardian.
17. LLC, Helix Consulting. "Professional army to be formed in Artsakh, where contract servicemen will play important role – Artsakh president – aysor.am – Hot news from Armenia".
18. "Նախագահ Սահակյանը մասնակցել է 8-րդ առանձին մոտոհրաձգային բրիգադի հիմնադրման 25-ամյակին նվիրված միջոցառմանը".
19. "Բակո Սահակյանը մասնակցել է 8-րդ առանձին մոտոհրաձգային բրիգադի հիմնադրման 25-ամյակին նվիրված միջոցառմանը (ԼՈՒՍԱՆԿԱՐՆԵՐ)".
20. "Հադրութի պաշտպանական շրջանի առաջին մոտոհրաձգային գումարտակ {{!}} historyofarmenia.am.am".
21. (29 May 2017). "Artsakh military unit's commander and deputies dismissed after drowning incident including soldiers".
22. "՛Officers expelled from Mataghis military unit had passed a military path, it was a painful decision՛: minister".
23. "Armenian analyst: New Artsakh army chief was commander of Mataghis military unit at 22 – Opera News".
24. (August 2024). "Armenian analyst: New Artsakh army chief was commander of Mataghis military unit at 22".
25. "ԲԱՑԱՌԻԿ ՖՈՏՈՌԵՊՈՐՏԱԺ, ՏԵՍԱՆՅՈՒԹ՝ Արցախի Հանրապետության "Եղնիկներ" զորամասից. լեգենդար զորամասում ներկա և ապագա լեգենդները նշեցին զորամասի կազմավորման 25-ամյակը".
26. (11 February 2020). "Documentary About The "Yeghnikner" Detachment – "Dark Forest In The Mountains" {{!}} Art-A-Tsolum".
27. (2020-10-02). "Командира элитной воинской части НКР наградили за взятие важных высот".
28. (16 November 2020). "Five main mysteries Of the second Karabakh war".
29. "Artsakh army refused to fulfill agreements on Karabakh".
30. (13 November 2020). "Soldiers of Yeghnikner military unit continue their combat duty".
31. (11 August 2010). "Հուշաղբյուր' ԼՂՀ ՊԲ հատուկ նշանակության ջոկատի զոհված զինվորների հիշատակին".
32. LLC, Academy Of Development. "Այսօր հետախույզի օրն է {{!}} ԼՂՀ պաշտպանության նախարարության պաշտոնական կայք".
33. LLC, Academy Of Development. (August 2024). "Զորամասի օր {{!}} ԼՂՀ պաշտպանության նախարարության պաշտոնական կայք".
34. "Աղաջանյան Ռոլես Գեորգիի".
35. DeRouen, Karl and [[Uk Heo]] (eds.) ''Civil Wars of the World: Major Conflicts since World War II''. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO, 2007, p. 151.
36. (6 January 2024). "Azerbaijani police find numerous weapons, munitions in Khankendi, Aghdara". Caliber.Az.
37. (30 January 2020). "Updated: Soldier dies in Artsakh by firing at himself". armenpress.am.
38. (25 July 2019). "Senior officer of Artsakh Defense Army arrested in suspicion of killing serviceman". armenpress.am.
39. (20 September 2023). "Documenting Equipment Losses During The September 2023 Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict".
40. "The Fight For Nagorno-Karabakh: Documenting Losses On The Sides Of Armenia And Azerbaijan".
41. Hoyle, Craig. (2025). "World Air Forces 2026". [[FlightGlobal]].
42. "Պաշտպանության բանակի զորահանդեսները".
43. "President of Artsakh addresses congratulatory message on Army Day » Armenian News".