18-Month Military Service: Who is Affected by the Change, Says Defense Minister

Starting from January 7, 2026, the replenishment of the Armed Forces will commence as part of the winter draft. This was announced by the Minister of Defense of Armenia, Suren Papikyan, during a session of the National Assembly.

“Citizens drafted for mandatory military service will serve for a period of 18 months starting from the winter draft of 2025. The change in the duration of service will not apply to soldiers who are already enlisted in mandatory military service as of January 1, 2026,” said Defense Minister Suren Papikyan.

For more details, see the video.