Karen Jalavyan

Karen Aghasi Jalavyan (Armenian: Կարեն Աղասու Ջալավյան; born 25 January 1971), also known by his nom de guerre Kyokh (Armenian: Քյոխ), is an Armenian military officer, colonel of the Artsakh Defence Army, commander of the Yeghnikner military unit and recipient of the award Hero of Artsakh.^[1][2]

Karen Jalavyan
Native name	Կարեն Ջալավյան
Nickname(s)	Քյոխ (Kyokh)
Born	(1971-01-25) 25 January 1971 (age 54)
Allegiance	Armenia Artsakh
Branch	Artsakh Defence Army
Rank	Colonel[1]
Commands	Yeghnikner military unit[1]
Battles / wars	Second Nagorno-Karabakh War
Awards	Hero of Artsakh[2] 2nd Degree Medal "For The Services Provided to the Motherland" [hy][3] Order of the Combat Cross of the First Degree [hy][4]

Awards

On 21 January 2015, Karen Jalavyan was awarded the 2nd Degree Medal "For Services Provided to the Motherland" [hy] by President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan.^[3]

A year later, on 21 September 2016, Jalavyan received another award, the Order of the Combat Cross of the First Degree [hy].^[4]

During the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, Jalavyan commanded the Yeghnikner military unit, which was stationed in the north of the Republic of Artsakh near the village of Tonashen. On 2 October 2020, Jalavyan received the highest title of Artsakh, Hero of Artsakh, from the president of the republic Arayik Harutyunyan.^[1][5] According to Harutyunyan, Jalavyan's detachment managed to "occupy several strategic heights and inflict heavy casualties on the Azerbaijani forces".^[6]