Samvel Babayan (Armenian: ?????? ???????; born 5 March 1965) is an Armenian military commander and politician.
He became a hero during the Nagorno-Karabakh War.
Following the war, he served as the Defense Minister of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic from 1994 to 2000.
During this period, Babayan "became not only the military leader but the most powerful man in Karabakh overall, controlling its government and economy."