Missing Armenian Soldier Confirmed Dead
DNA Tests Reveal Identity of Soldier Who Fought in Artsakh War
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This is a developing story and will be updated:
Family member of missing Armenian soldier who fought in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) war, shared the tragic news today that he was killed in action. DNA tests confirmed a body found earlier this year, belongs to her 25 year old cousin, Yuri Sargsyan Hamazaspi.
Yuri Sargsyan, who family and friends nicknamed Yurka, had been missing since October 25. According to his cousin Hasmik, search & rescue teams had found a headless body in February, burned to the bones. (Hasmik has requested that her last name is not revealed)
His family first hoped he may at least still be alive and was one of the illegally captured POWs seen in a photo Azerbaijan released December 13, but stories of what may have happened to Sargsyan began to raise doubts.
Hasmik said her family still wasn’t sure at the time if it was Sargsyan since they had been hearing different stories from multiple sources, including soldiers who fought with him.
The initial DNA test to help identify the body was conducted in Armenia. Yuri’s uncle then took the test to Austria where there’s more advanced technology, so the family could be sure it was him. Sadly, that DNA test also came back positive identifying the body as Yuri’s.
“I don’t want to imagine the way he died. According to returned POWs, Armenian prisoners as young as 18 have been tortured, beheaded & their bodies burned later. I hope this didn’t happen to my cousin. I wish I knew where his body was found & how he died to find peace. I don’t know which way of dying is worse, dying of explosion or being mutilated alive and burned. I hope Yurka did not suffer & his death was quick & painless,” Hasmik said of her cousin’s tragic death.
She also revealed that two of his friends, who served with Sargsyan and apparently were the last to see him alive, said despite being wounded himself he still helped other wounded soldiers into the ambulance.
The Armenian soldiers told the family that although Sargsyan’s back was wounded he still helped everyone into the ambulance. According to their eyewitness accounts, Sargsyan was the last one to get in when Azeri soldiers began shooting at the truck as the ambulance drove off.
The soldiers then told the family the ambulance Sargsyan was in exploded just after being hit with the 2nd & 3rd round of shots. The two soldiers immediately went back to search for survivors. They found body burned, who they believed to be Sargsyan, with his fist in the air and body still intact. It is still unclear if the body they found was Sargsyan’s or if he was later beheaded then burned by Azeri soldiers.
“I’m sure Yurka will look after Artsakh. He was special. He was my beautiful, kindhearted & heroic cousin. Always helping in the household, he was always nice and kind. He was also very creative and full of hopeful dreams,” she fondly recalled of her cousin.