Armenia to shorten mandatory military service from January 1

Armenia will reduce the length of compulsory military service from two years to 18 months starting from 1 January 2026, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has announced.

In a video posted on Facebook on Tuesday, Pashinyan said the Defense Ministry had initially proposed that the change take effect from the summer 2026 draft, but following discussions with Defense Minister Suren Papikyan and MPs, the government decided to implement the reform from the winter 2026 conscription.

“Mandatory military service in Armenia will be one and a half years instead of the current two,” Pashinyan announced.