Russia is immediately deploying about 1,960 soldiers to the self-declared Nagorno-Karabakh region in Azerbaijan.
According to a press release issued Tuesday by Russian Defense Ministry, the first five Ilyushin Il-76MD Candid airlifters with Russian peacekeepers are heading to Nagorno-Karabakh from Ulyanovsk
“The first four Il-76 planes, which are redeploying Russian peacekeepers to the area of performing tasks in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone, have taken off from the Ulyanovsk-Vostochny airfield. The aircraft are carrying the personnel of the peacekeeping formation, vehicles, armored vehicles and material resources,” the ministry said. The fifth plane also departed later.
The Russian Defense Ministry earlier announced that a total of 1,960 peacekeepers, 90 armored vehicles and 380 vehicles and pieces of special equipment would be sent to Nagorno-Karabakh.
Russia is beginning to deploy its peacekeeping contingent to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone since 06:00 Moscow Time alongside with the withdrawal of Armenian forces, the Defense Ministry said.
“In accordance with the statement of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia and the President of the Russian Federation since 06:00 Moscow Time on November 10, 2020 Russia starts deploying a peacekeeping contingent to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone simultaneously with the withdrawal of Armenian Armed Forces,” the ministry said.
On November 9, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed a joint statement on a complete ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh since 00:00 Moscow Time on November 10. The Russian leader said the Azerbaijani and Armenian sides would remain on the positions they hold and Russian peacekeepers would be deployed to the region. Besides, Armenia and Azerbaijan should carry out the exchange of prisoners of war and the bodies of those killed.