AZERBAIJANI MILITARY VICTIMS OF A PEACEFUL PERIOD
by Dzhasur Mamedov
Translated by Pavel Pushkin

Source: Voenno-Promyshlenny Kuryer, No. 35, September 13-19, 2006, p. 5
Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
September 22, 2006 Friday

One hundred and eighty-five soldiers died in Azerbaijan in 44 months

Non-Combat Losses In The Armed Forces Of Azerbaijan Manifest Difficult
Situation In The Army; According to the journalists’ military studies
center Doktrina, in the first eight months of 2006, irreversible
losses of the Azerbaijani army exceeded 36 people.

According to journalists’ military studies center Doktrina, in the
first eight months of 2006, irreversible losses of the Azerbaijani
army exceeded 36 people. This figure is more than the figure of losses
in the relevant period of 2005 amounting to 29. Overall, at least 39
servicemen died in the full year 2005. The irreversible army losses
in 2004 amounted to 35. Thus, these sad figures have a trend of growth.

Relying on the information confirmed at various times by officials
of security agencies it is possible to say that of the 36 servicemen
who died in the first eight months of 2006, 35 served in units of
the Defense Ministry and one served in the State Border Guards Service.

In 2005, 35 servicemen died in the Defense Ministry, three servicemen
died in the State Border Guards Service and one serviceman died in the
Interior Forces. In 2004, 31 servicemen died in the Defense Ministry,
three servicemen died in the State Border Guards Service and one
serviceman died in the interior Forces.

The quantity of dead officers grew in 2006, too. Eight servicemen
were in ranks from lieutenant to colonel, one was a warrant officer
and the remaining 27 were soldiers and sergeants. Among the servicemen
who died in 2005, were 33 soldiers and sergeants, two warrant officers
and four officers in ranks from lieutenant to major.

In 2004, majority of the dead servicemen were soldiers and sergeants
(27) and five were officers.

Analyzing the reasons for deaths of the servicemen of the Azerbaijani
army it is possible to draw a conclusion that the so-called "factor
of the Armenian bullet" is gradually moving to the background. In
2005, soldiers and officers died mostly from bullets from enemy
positions. Monitoring printed and electronic mass media of Azerbaijan
in eight months of 2006, showed that eight servicemen died as a result
of various accidents, ten died "from the Armenian bullet," one exploded
on a mine, two died as a result of a fire, five committed suicide,
three were buried by a snow slide, six died from hazing and one
died from sunstroke. In 2006, only 11 ("Armenian bullet" and a mine
explosion) of the 36 cases of deaths of servicemen can be qualified
as deaths in combat operations. The remaining 25 servicemen died in
non-combat situations.

In 2005, 22 servicemen died from enemy bullets (overall, 39 servicemen
died), two servicemen were killed by a snow slide, two exploded on
a mine and five died as a result of accidents (traffic incident,
unknown bullet, mysterious circumstances and other), four died from
bullets of their fellow soldiers and four committed suicides. Hazing
prevailed among the reasons of deaths in 2004. Ten servicemen died
as a result of that, nine servicemen were killed by enemy bullets,
four died from accidents (electric shock, drowning and other), two
died because of snow slide and four exploded on mines.

Overall, the year 2003, can be considered the most unfavorable of
the last years for the Azerbaijani army. Deaths of 75 servicemen
were registered in 2003. Thirty-four servicemen died from Armenian
bullets. The army lost also 13 servicemen from hazing, eight servicemen
as a result of suicides, seven servicemen exploded on mines and seven
servicemen died from diseases.

Twenty servicemen were wounded in the first eight months of 2006,
due to various reasons. This quantity is a little lower than in 2005
(forty-four servicemen were wounded in 2005, which was the highest
parameter in the last few years). Of the servicemen wounded in 2006,
the Defense Ministry accounted for 18 people, the military prosecutor’s
office accounted for one person and State Border Guards Service
accounted for one serviceman (forty-one servicemen of the Defense
Ministry, two servicemen of the Interior Forces and one serviceman
of the State Border Guards Service were wounded in 2005).

In 2006, like in the last few years, the overwhelming part of the
wounded were soldiers.

We need to pay attention to the reasons for the wounds. First place
belongs to enemy bullets and explosion of mines and other kinds of
ammunition accounting for six wounded each. Then follow hazing (3),
fires (2), catastrophes (2) and accidents (1). We need to mention also
the data for 2005, when 35 servicemen were wounded by enemy’s bullets,
two were wounded by mine explosions, five were wounded because of
accidents, one was wounded because of hazing and one was wounded
because of a suicide attempt.

We can draw a sad conclusion. Between January 2003 and August 2006,
that is in 44 months, the armed forces of Azerbaijan lost at least
185 servicemen. Of this quantity deaths of 89 servicemen were combat
losses (75 from Armenian bullets and 14 from mine explosions) and
96 deaths happened outside of the combat situation (33 from hazing,
23 because of accidents, 21 because of suicide, 11 from snow slide,
seven from diseases and one from sunstroke). During the same period
more than 119 servicemen were wounded.

According to analysts of Doktrina, losses of this scale are
unacceptable for such a small country as Azerbaijan and show that
condition of the army is intolerable. Experts see the reasons for
growing quantity of servicemen’s deaths in the arbitrary actions,
lawlessness, irresponsibility, and inaction of laws, corruption,
inept command and other negative phenomena dominating in the army.

Observers also think that it is necessary to seek the reason for the
non-combat deaths in existence of the atmosphere of impunity in the
army. If everyone from commanders of military units to top-ranking
officials of the Defense Ministry keep avoiding punishment the sad
army statistical data will keep growing.