(Moscow) Russia on Saturday accused Azerbaijan of violating the ceasefire agreement with Armenia signed after the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, bringing troops into the area under the control of forces Russian peacekeepers.
Posted at 1:37 p.m.
“Between March 24 and 25, the armed forces of Azerbaijan violated the trilateral agreement of the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia, entering the area under the responsibility of the Russian peacekeeping contingent. peace in Nagorny-Karabakh,” the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.
According to the ministry, the Azerbaijani forces set up an observation post and carried out “four strikes with Bayraktar-type drones” on the Karabakh forces near the locality of Farukh.
“The Russian command of the peacekeeping contingent is taking steps to resolve the situation […] a call for troop withdrawal has been sent to the Azerbaijani side,” he added.
The November 9, 2020 agreement signed by Vladimir Putin and the leaders of Armenia, Nikol Pashinian, and Azerbaijani, Ilham Aliev, had ended a violent six-week conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh, a pro-Armenian territory with self-proclaimed independence. Azerbaijani forces had by then made great territorial gains.
The Russian announcement comes as its army is engaged in a major offensive in Ukraine.
On Friday, Karabakh authorities said two soldiers were killed by Azerbaijani forces.