Arshak Karapetyan was born on 6 February 1967 in Yerevan.[3] From 1984 to 1989 he studied in Russia at the Kaliningrad Higher Naval College.[3] From 1994 to 1997 he studied at the Frunze Military Academy of the Russian Armed Forces, graduating with a gold medal.[3] In 2006 he took an English-language military course at the University of York in the United Kingdom, and in 2008 took a course at the Military Academy of the Russian Armed Forces. In 2011, he attended courses at Harvard Kennedy School.[3]
He served in the Armed Forces of Armenia from 1993 to 2018.[3][4] He holds the rank of major general.[3] From 2018 to 2021 he was an advisor to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.[3] From 13 April to 20 July 2021, he was the First Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Armenia.[5][6] On 20 July 2021, by the decision of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, he was appointed First Deputy Minister of Defense, and on 2 August of the same year, he was appointed Minister of Defense.[3][7][8]
Karapetyan was dismissed on 15 November 2021 and succeeded by Suren Papikyan.[9] after reporting full control over the border with Azerbaijan the previous day despite Azerbaijani forces having already infiltrated it. He then established a political group critical of Pashinyan called the All-Armenian Front, which called for closer relations with Russian and Iran.[10]
Karapetyan became wanted in Armenia on charges of illegal participation in business activities and abuse of power. He also has extensive business ties in Russia, including partnerships with Armenian-born Russian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan, with whom he has no biological relation to.[11]
On 29 December 2024, Karapetyan was arrested by Russian authorities in Moscow following a request from Armenia, but was released on bail shortly afterwards.[11][10]
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Soviet Navy (1984–1991)
Armenia Armed Forces (1993–2018)