17 service members have died in Azerbaijan outside of combat since the beginning of the year.
From January to April 2026, the Azerbaijani defense and security sector lost 17 service members. All deaths occurred in non-combat situations.
As reported by the Caucasian Knot, according to the Caspian Institute for Military Studies, in 2025, Azerbaijan's defense and security sector lost 42 personnel. All of them died in non-combat situations.
The Caspian Institute for Military Studies (CDSI) began its work in February 2015 in Germany. One of its founders was Jasur Sumerinli, who headed the "Doctrine" Center for Journalistic Military Studies until his departure from Azerbaijan in 2014.
Azerbaijan's defense and security sector lost 17 personnel in January-April 2026, CDSI reported on May 5 based on monitoring media reports. All military deaths occurred in non-combat situations, including three servicemen who died from disease, two who committed suicide, five who died in car accidents, two who died as a result of accidents, and one who died due to negligence. The cause of death for four other service members has not been disclosed, CDSI Director Jasur Sumerinli told a Caucasian Knot correspondent.
Twelve of the deceased were members of the Ministry of Defense, three were members of the State Border Service, one was a member of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, and one was a member of the State Service for Mobilization and Conscription.
CDSI also provides statistics on the military ranks of the service members who lost their lives. Three of them were soldiers, two were officers, two were warrant officers, three were long-term service members, and two were cadets. It was not possible to determine the military rank of the others, Sumerinli said.
Furthermore, at least five servicemen sustained bodily injuries during the review period.
According to Sumerinli, an increase in the number of casualties in the Azerbaijani Armed Forces was observed in January-April 2026 compared to the previous two years following the end of military operations in Karabakh and on the border between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
Thus, in 2025, according to data as of May 5, losses amounted to 13 people, and in 2024 – 11.
The total losses in the defense and security sector of Azerbaijan in 2025 amounted to 43 people, and in 2024 – 51.
"We rely on official data, media reports, and information from social networks. In reality, the number of casualties may be higher, since not all cases may be publicly reported," Sumerinli said.
It should be noted that Azerbaijan's security agencies do not provide periodic statistics on non-combat losses.