Armenian Defense Ministry silent on official toll from 2020 war

More than five years after the 44‑day war in Artsakh, Armenia’s Defense Ministry has still not released an official casualty figure, leaving the scale of losses a matter of dispute and political contention.

The ministry told Panorama.am that information on fallen soldiers can be found on the website of the Zinapah National Insurance Foundation, provided families have given consent, while details on missing persons are handled by an interagency commission on captives and hostages.

The absence of a definitive report has fueled public debate. During campaign events, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has bristled at citizens citing “5,000 dead,” demanding to know the source of the number. Panorama.am has pressed the ministry for precise figures, but received only procedural replies.

National Assembly Speaker Alen Simonyan recently sought to clarify the toll, saying in a live broadcast that “criminal case files, with names and surnames, prove that 3,833 people were killed, including 78 civilians and 3,755 military personnel.” He added that about 160 remain missing, not included in the tally.