Azerbaijani armed forces losses for year 2023

Irrecoverable losses of Azerbaijan’s security and defence sector in 2023 amounted to 260 people. At the same time, 212 people were killed in combat conditions, the remaining 48 were non-combat losses. This is stated in the report of the Caspian Institute for Military Studies.

According to this German NGO, 208 military personnel died as a result of shooting from the Armenian side, and another four were blown up by mines.

As for non-combat losses, 8 military personnel died in road accidents, 9 died of illness, 2 were victims of non-statutory relations, 2 were killed as a result of armed attacks, 1 died as a result of careless handling of weapons, and 6 died of accidents. Another 20 servicemen committed suicide.

Add that 128 of the dead were servicemen of the Ministry of Defence, 9 of the State Border Service, 3 of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, 17 of the Internal Troops, 1 of the Strategic Objects Protection Directorate, 1 of the Ministry of Justice, and 1 of the Paramilitary Protection Directorate of the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport.

Also, 134 of the dead were soldiers, 50 – officers, 44 – superannuated servicemen, 26 – warrant officers, 3 – cadets. The Institute failed to establish the ranks of three more servicemen.

Most of the fatalities occurred during the September anti-terrorist operations in Karabakh. There were also fatalities on the border with Armenia – in the regions of Kelbajar, Zangelan and Gubadli, as well as in the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic.

In addition, the number of wounded and maimed servicemen for 2023 totalled 536, the report concluded.

Note that the *Caspian Defence Studies Institute as a think tank started its work in February 2015 in Germany. One of its founders is Jasur Sumerinli, who headed the “Doctrine” Centre for Military Studies before leaving Azerbaijan.