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June 10 marks the birthday anniversary of Sasun Mkrtchyan, who heroically fell while defending the Artsakh borders during the 2016 April war. The fallen soldier would have turned 34 today.

Sasun Mkrtchyan was born in 1989 in Yerevan to a family originating from historical Sasun in Western Armenia.

At the age of 10, Sasun started practicing Muay Thai. He participated in several sports competitions and was awarded with different medals and honors. Until the last years of his life Sasun was a member of Muay-Thai Boxing Federation of Armenia, as well as a sport referee and broadcaster.

Sasun studied at the Yerevan Institute of Forensic Examinations and Psychology. From 2009-2011 he worked at the Yerevan Court of Appeals as a bailiff.

Sasun was called to mandatory military service in 2007 and served at a military unit in Shamshadin until 2009. Before becoming a reconnaissance officer and machine-gunner at a special unit of the Armenian army, he was a peacekeeper.

He lost his life on the night of April 2. The career officer had returned home to Yerevan on April 1 to get engaged to his fiancée, but went back to the Artsakh frontlines immediately upon hearing about the Azerbaijani attacks.

While leading the fight to take back one of the lost positions near Talish, Sasun was severely wounded and passed away on the way to the hospital.

Sasun Mkrtchyan was posthumously awarded with the For Service in Battle Medal of Artsakh and Armenia’s 1st Class Order of the Combat Cross.