MOSCOW, November 15. /TASS/. The Russian peacekeeping mission has deployed nine observation posts each in the southern and northern zones of responsibility in Nagorno-Karabakh as well as seven temporary outposts in the Lachin corridor, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a bulletin on Sunday.
"Seven temporary observation posts have been set up in the Lachin corridor (along Zabukh Road, Collective Farm Lysogorsky, Zarysly) since November 10, 2020 in order to provide the organized deployment of the peacekeeping contingent. Yesterday, units of the 15th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade completed putting up observation posts in the northern area of responsibility. Currently, peacekeeping detachments are monitoring the ceasefire and hostilities at nine observation posts in the southern zone of responsibility and at nine in the northern zone of responsibility," the bulletin says.
In addition, the command center of the Russian peacekeeping forces finished its deployment to Stepanakert.
Apart from that, main forces of the Russian peacekeeping contingent, based on the 15th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the Central Military District, are continuing relocation.
"Military transport aircraft continue airlifting manpower, weapons, military hardware and special equipment to Armenia. A total of 118 flights have been flown since November 10, 2020, including 23 flights in the past 24 hours," the Defense Ministry added.
"The ceasefire is observed along the entire contact line. Under the agreements, the exchange of the bodies is ongoing. It is carried out under the coordination of the peacekeeping forces of the Russian Federation and the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the emergencies public service of Nagorno-Karabakh," the Russian Defense Ministry added.
The Russian military set up a direct communications channel with the General Staffs of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan and Armenia to avoid incidents and ensure security.
Russian peacekeepers
The Russian peacekeeping mission is deployed to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone in accordance with the November 9 agreements. Then Russian President Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed a joint statement on a complete ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh. A total of 1,960 service members and hardware are expected to be deployed to the area. A command center of the peacekeeping mission was put up in Stepanakert.
The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the highland region of Nagorno-Karabakh, a disputed territory that had been part of Azerbaijan before the Soviet Union break-up, but primarily populated by ethnic Armenians, broke out in February 1988 after the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region announced its withdrawal from the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic. In 1992-1994, tensions boiled over and exploded into large-scale military action for control over the enclave and seven adjacent territories after Azerbaijan lost control of them. Renewed clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia erupted on September 27, with intense battles raging in Nagorno-Karabakh.