Samvel Babayan
| Samvel Babayan | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Defence Minister of Nagorno-Karabakh | |
|
In office January 1995 – August 1999 |
|
| President |
Leonard Petrosyan Arkadi Ghukasyan |
| Preceded by | position established |
| Succeeded by | Seyran Ohanyan |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
5 March 1965 Stepanakert, Nagorno-Karabakh, Soviet Union |
| Political party | Dashink |
| Occupation | Mechanic |
| Awards | Hero of Artsakh |
| Military service | |
| Service/branch |
 Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army
|
| Years of service | 1983—85 1988—2000 |
| Rank | Lieutenant General |
| Battles/wars | Nagorno-Karabakh War |
Samvel Babayan (Armenian: Սամվել Բաբայան; born 5 March 1965 Charencavan) is an Armenian military commander and politician. He became a hero during the Nagorno-Karabakh War. Following the war, he served as the Defense Minister of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic from 1994 to 2000. During this period, Babayan "became not only the military leader but the most powerful man in Karabakh overall, controlling its government and economy."
Babayan was born on 5 March 1965 in Stepanakert, Nagorno-Karabakh. In 1982, he finished Armenian secondary school # 7 named after Eghishe Charents in Stepanakert. From 1983 to 1985, he served in the Soviet military contingent in Eastern Germany .
In 1988, Samvel Babayan enlisted in a paramilitary unit and rose to command his own unit and leading it professionally. From 1989 to 1991 he was the commander of the Stepanakert second Volunteers Company and a member of the Stepanakert underground central headquarters. Lieutenant General Samvel Babayan rose to prominence during the military phase of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, in 1991-1994. Babayan carried out coordination of Armenian operations in Karabakh, participated in the development of the plan to capture Shusha and was the commander of the front of Lachin. As unified military command began to be established in Nagorno Karabakh in 1992-1993, Babayan became the Commander of the Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army in 1993, after his predecessor Serzh Sargsyan left to become Armenia's Defense Minister. Under his command, the Karabakhi military succeeded in winning a number of strategic battles against the Azerbaijani military and regained control over most of Nagorno-Karabakh as well as partially controlling 7 districts of Azerbaijan.
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