Armenia plans to shorten mandatory military service sooner than originally planned

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced on Tuesday that the proposed reduction in mandatory military service for men will take effect starting January 1, instead of the summer of 2026.

The Minister of Defense, Suren Papikyan, had earlier introduced legislation to parliament to reduce the duration of mandatory military service from the current two years to 1.5 years. It was originally meant to take effect starting in the summer of 2026.

“But today I had a discussion with the Defense Minister, and previously with parliamentarians as well, and we decided that this law should take effect sooner, on January 1, 2026. This means that, starting with the winter draft, mandatory military service in Armenia will be 1.5 years instead of two years. To all our troops, thank you for your service,” Pashinyan said on Facebook.