DNA Results from Abroad Received: Updated Death Toll of Casualties in the War Published

As a result of the aggressive war unleashed by Azerbaijan, as of December 24, 2021, the total number of soldiers and civilians killed in Armenia and Artsakh stands at 3,808, according to a written response from the Investigative Committee of Armenia to Sputnik Armenia's inquiry.

The media outlet had inquired with the Investigative Committee for details regarding the identification process of soldiers' remains. Earlier, Minister of Health Anahit Avanesyan had also reported that the remains of soldiers that could not be identified in Armenia were sent abroad. Therefore, the Investigative Committee was also asked how many remains have been sent abroad for identification.

“As of December 24 of the current year, forensic genetic examination has identified the bodies/remains of 1,417 individuals,” the response from the Committee stated.

As of August 16, 2021, 53 complex samples were sent to the Netherlands for double testing, and responses have been received. In November, another 47 samples were sent, from which DNA results were obtained for 42 samples: 37 were identified, while 5 remained unknown.

Regarding which countries the remains of soldiers are being sent for identification, the Investigative Committee reported that they have only been sent to the Netherlands. However, the Committee added that our inquiry contains pre-trial secrecy regarding how many remains remain unidentifiable to this day.

It is worth recalling that on October 4, the Investigative Committee reported that the total number of soldiers and civilians killed as a result of the war in Artsakh and Armenia was 3,788.