Opposition MP warns military service cut will weaken Armenia’s defense capabilities

Lawmaker Tigran Abrahamyan from the opposition Pativ Unem faction said on Thursday that reducing mandatory military service in Armenia by six months amounts to a 25% drop in conscripts, warning that the rise in contract soldiers does not make up for the cut.

Abrahamyan criticized the Defense Ministry’s claims that the change does not shrink the army, saying officials previously acknowledged serious recruitment problems.

“Under these conditions, the army will face a gap that will have serious consequences for the country’s defense capabilities,” he wrote on Facebook.