Armenia

Armenian Defense Ministry Denies Reports of Serviceman Being Severely Beaten

On July 28, the Armenian Defense Ministry denied reports circulating on social media claiming that a serviceman identified as A.H. had been severely beaten, stating that the information was false and did not correspond with reality. The Ministry urged the public to avoid spreading unverified information and warned that such publications could mislead citizens and contribute to disinformation. It also criticized attempts to damage the reputation of the Armenian Army through unfounded claims.

"The information about the severe beating of serviceman A. H. or being beaten in general is false: he was admitted to a military hospital for other health problems," the Defense Ministry stated. The Ministry added that it was ready to accompany representatives of the Human Rights Defender’s Office to the military hospital to allow them to verify the situation and become familiar with the facts on site.

Edward Asryan Discusses Cooperation With ICRC Armenia

On July 29, Edward Asryan, the First Deputy Minister of Defense and Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Armenia, received a delegation led by Daphne Mare, the Head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Armenia.

During the meeting, the sides discussed the main areas of cooperation between the Armenian Armed Forces and the ICRC, as well as issues related to the organization’s support in strengthening the implementation of international humanitarian law within the military.

Asryan highly appreciated the joint efforts and results achieved through the cooperation, expressing gratitude to the ICRC delegation for its assistance in developing the capabilities of the Armenian Armed Forces.

Mare presented the progress of the long-term partnership between the two sides and emphasized that one of the key objectives of the cooperation is the continuous improvement of the armed forces’ capabilities through the integration of international humanitarian law principles.

Azerbaijan

Military Exercise

On July 31, the joint tactical exercise "Zulfiqar 2026," held in Jordan with the participation of special forces from Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Türkiye, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, concluded. The final stage of the exercise was observed by Alakbar Jahangirov, the Commander of the Azerbaijan Special Forces, together with the exercise leadership. Jahangirov highly praised the professionalism, combat readiness, and level of preparedness demonstrated by Azerbaijani special forces personnel during the drills.

The Distinguished Visitors Day of the exercise was attended by Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II of Jordan. The main objectives of "Zulfiqar 2026" were to strengthen cooperation and interoperability among the participating countries’ special forces, improve operational skills and professional knowledge, and expand the exchange of experience between military units.

Georgia

No important information was published by the Georgian side during this period.