YEREVAN, 28 JANUARY, ARMENPRESS. Armenian soldier Vardan Mkrtchyan, who was shot and killed by the opponent while defending the borders of the Homeland, had been recruited to the army on his birthday. This is what the deceased soldier’s father,Martin Mkrtchyan told journalists following the award ceremony held at the residence of the President of the Republic of Armenia.“He finished his first year of studies at the State Crisis Management Academy and was recruited to the army with the hope to return and continue his studies. However, on January 3, he died after engaging in a battle with the Azerbaijanis,”Mkrtchyan mentioned with a feeling of satisfaction and emphasized that his son will be remembered as a great Armenian, as “Armenpress” reports.

 Vardan Mkrtchyan died on January 3 in the Askeran region when Armenian forces helped lead the opponent’s investigative-diversion penetration attempt to failure. Martin Mkrtchyan has another son who was supposed to be recruited to the army this month, but since his brother died, he wasn’t recruited. “There is a law that says the last son isn’t recruited,” Mkrtchyan said. Mkrtchyan would talk to his son almost every day. They also talked on January 3, but Vardan died only hours later. “He hadn’t told me anything about tension on the border. He told me everything was fine and that there was no problem. He was giving us hope,” the father of the deceased soldier said in closing.