Azerbaijan Armed Forces Day was marked on Friday, June 26, 2026, as the country commemorated the founding of its first military force in 1918.
The public holiday honours serving personnel, veterans and fallen soldiers. Official ceremonies, patriotic events, parades, concerts and public tributes usually take place across the country.
Azerbaijan, whose capital is Baku, sits between Eastern Europe and Western Asia. The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic established its first armed forces on June 26, 1918.
The Soviet Union absorbed Azerbaijan in 1920 and dissolved the early military structure. The country later regained independence after the Soviet collapse.
Azerbaijan proclaimed independence on August 30, 1991. The modern armed forces were re-established on October 9, 1991, under the law of the new republic.
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The force now includes the Azerbaijani Land Forces, the Azerbaijani Air and Air Defence Force, and the Azerbaijani Navy. The Ministry of Defence of Azerbaijan oversees the country’s military structure.
The first military parade of independent Azerbaijan took place on October 9, 1992. The ceremony was held at Azadliq Square in Baku.
In 1998, Azerbaijan officially proclaimed June 26 as the Day of the Armed Forces. The date has remained an annual national holiday since then.
Mammad Amin Rasulzade, a leading figure in the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, played a central role in the country’s independence movement. The 1918 military tradition to the early republic.
Public observances also focus on support for service members and veterans’ families. Community groups and local organisations often hold appreciation events, welfare drives and patriotic gatherings.
Azerbaijan Armed Forces Day remains one of the country’s main national commemorations. It links the 1918 army founding with the modern military formed after independence.
