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First Il-76 planes with Russian peacekeepers depart for Karabakh

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

MOSCOW, November 10. /TASS/. The first five Il-76 planes with Russian peacekeepers are heading to Nagorno-Karabakh from Ulyanovsk, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.

"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.

According to the ministry, the contingent will be mainly formed of units of the 15th separate motor rifle brigade of the Central Military District. In order to control the implementation of the ceasefire deal Russian observation posts will be set up along the contact line in Nagorno-Karabakh and along the Lachinsky corridor, which connects Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. The command of the peacekeeping operation will be based near Stepanakert, the capital of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.

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.