The arrival of Russian peacekeepers in the Hadrut region of Nagorno-Karabakh helped prevent further hostilities in this territory. This was stated on Sunday, December 13, by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at an expanded meeting of the Armenian Security Council, a video of which he posted on his Facebook page.
“A small detachment of Russian peacekeepers arrived in the war zone in Karabakh last night, as a result of which the fighting stopped. But some of the villages of Khin Taher and Khtsaber came under the control of the Azerbaijani special forces, ”the head of the republic’s government said.
He specified that the situation in the region is now relatively calm, and the peacekeeping contingent was replenished with “larger forces” on Sunday morning.
“The presence of Russian peacekeepers there gives hope that further escalation will be avoided,” Pashinyan added.
Earlier on the same day, the commander of the Russian military contingent of peacekeeping forces in the conflict zone, Lieutenant General Rustam Muradov, said that the situation in the region had normalized thanks to the efforts of the Russian military.
He emphasized that the Russian peacekeepers constantly monitor the situation in the NKR, maintain interaction with the Armenian and Azerbaijani sides.
The day before, the Russian Defense Ministry said that the first case of violation of the ceasefire regime occurred in the Hadrut region since the end of hostilities and the beginning of Russia’s peacekeeping operation in Karabakh.
The next day, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported that no cases of violation of the ceasefire regime in Karabakh were recorded.
The department also presented an updated map of the operation of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in the NKR. The area of responsibility “South” includes the territory in the southwestern part of the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region (NKAO) and the village of Khintaglar.
On November 9, Armenia and Azerbaijan, with the mediation of Russia, signed an agreement, according to which hostilities would cease in NKR on November 10.
This document also provides for the introduction of Russian peacekeepers into the region, the transfer of several regions of the region by Yerevan to Baku, the exchange of prisoners between the parties to the conflict. In addition, the return of refugees to Karabakh and the creation of a monitoring center, which will receive messages on the observance of the ceasefire and complaints from local residents, are envisaged.
Russian observation posts have been set up along the line of contact in Karabakh and along the Lachin corridor, which connects Armenia and the NKR. The command of the peacekeepers is in Stepanakert.