Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh
Armenia and Azerbaijan
Russia: Armenian separatists handed over six armored vehicles, more than 800 small arms units and five thousand rounds of ammunition
Posted on: September 22, 2023: 11:43 PM GST Last updated: September 23, 2023: 12:07 AM GST
The Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday evening that Armenian separatists in Nagorno-Karabakh have begun handing over their weapons and military equipment under the supervision of Russian peacekeepers.
She added that the armed groups handed over six armored vehicles, more than 800 small arms units, and five thousand rounds of ammunition.
The ministry stated that Russian peacekeeping forces continue their missions in the Nagorno-Karabakh region and that they are in constant contact with Azerbaijan and the Armenian population in the region.
The Ministry indicated that it had monitored two cases of violations of the ceasefire since it was announced, and added that no injuries occurred as a result.
The move comes after Azerbaijan regained control of the region, which for decades had been at the heart of conflict with neighboring Armenia.
On Tuesday, Azerbaijan launched a large-scale military operation against Armenian positions, demanding that Armenians lay down their weapons and dissolve the separatist government.
A day later, Nagorno-Karabakh authorities agreed to the demands, but talks on how to reintegrate the breakaway region into Azerbaijan are still ongoing.
In this context, the separatists in Nagorno-Karabakh announced on Friday that they were negotiating with Baku to withdraw their forces.
Raising the Armenian flag on a road leading from Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh
On Thursday, Azerbaijan held a first round of “reintegration” talks with Armenian separatists after they agreed to lay down their arms in the face of the military attack that lasted a full day.
The separatists said in a statement that they are conducting negotiations with the Azerbaijani side under the auspices of the Russian peacekeeping force to organize the withdrawal of forces and ensure the return of citizens displaced by the fighting to their homes.
The separatists said that the two sides are discussing procedures for citizens to enter and exit Nagorno-Karabakh, where about 120,000 people of Armenian origin live.
The Nagorno-Karabakh region has been at the heart of the conflict for more than three decades between the two rival countries in the Caucasus, Armenia and Azerbaijan, since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
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2023-09-22 19:43:00
