Russia starts pulling peacekeepers out of Azerbaijan's Karabakh region

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) – Russia on Thursday announced that it had started pulling out peacekeepers from Karabakh, a contingent sent to the region in the wake of a fall 2020 conflict in the southern Caucasus region.

Russian peacekeepers dismantled temporary observation posts along the former contact line in the Askeran (Asgaran or Khojaly), Aghdara (Martakert), and Shusha districts of Azerbaijan, Russia’s Defense Ministry said in a statement.

Meanwhile, contacts with Azerbaijan and representatives of the Armenian population of Karabakh continue in order to prevent bloodshed and ensure security and compliance with humanitarian law in relation to civilians, the ministry added.

"No violations of the cease-fire regime in the area of responsibility of the Russian peacekeeping contingent were recorded during the day," it said.

In a separate statement, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the Russian peacekeepers in Karabakh had only one right, namely to monitor the compliance of the sides with the cease-fire.

He also said that when Armenia this summer recognized Karabakh as Azerbaijani territory, Baku raised the question about the further presence of the peacekeeping contingent.

- Karabakh conflict

In the fall of 2020, with Türkiye lending its support, in 44 days of clashes Azerbaijan liberated from Armenian occupation numerous settlements in Karabakh, a region internationally recognized as Azerbaijani territory. The war ended with a Russia-brokered cease-fire.

This Sept. 19, the Azerbaijani army initiated anti-terrorism measures in Karabakh. After 24 hours of the measures, illegal Armenian armed forces in Karabakh surrendered.

Azerbaijan, having now established full sovereignty in the Karabakh region, has called on the Armenian population to become part of Azerbaijani society.