MOSCOW: Russian peacekeepers have initiated their withdrawal from Nagorno-Karabakh, the Kremlin said on Wednesday.
This move follows Azerbaijan’s reclaiming of the disputed territory from Armenian separatists last year.
Azerbaijani state media reported the commencement of Russian troops’ departure from positions they held under a ceasefire brokered by Moscow in 2020 between Baku and Yerevan. They shared videos and images depicting armored vehicles bearing Russian flags exiting the region.
When questioned about these reports during a press briefing on Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the withdrawal, stating, “Yes, that’s true,” but refrained from providing further details.
The deployment of a 2,000-strong Russian peacekeeping force was part of a larger agreement aimed at ending a six-week conflict in 2020. This conflict resulted in Azerbaijani forces gaining control over significant portions of Nagorno-Karabakh and its surrounding areas.
