MOSCOW, November 17. /TASS/. Russia’s military transport planes Ilyushin-76 and Antonov-124 have delivered to Armenia 64 motor vehicles and other equipment, including armored personnel carriers and trucks, over the past 24 hours, the Russian Defense Ministry’s press service said on Tuesday.
"Over the past 24 hours Ilyushin-76 and Antonov-124 planes of Russia’s Aerospace Force operating from the Ulyanovsk-Vostochny airdrome have carried out 22 flights to deliver to Armenia 64 motor vehicles and other pieces of equipment - armored personnel carriers, cross-country motor vehicles, tanker trucks, earthmoving machines and other logistic and support equipment," the Defense Ministry said.
The personnel and military vehicles are forming columns for a march to Nagorno-Karabakh. "Helicopters Mi-8 and Mi-24 provide air protection on the route," the Defense 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 starting from November 10. The Russian leader said the Azerbaijani and Armenian sides would maintain the positions that they had held and Russian peacekeepers would be deployed to the region.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, units from the 15th separate motor rifle brigade of the Central Military District constitute the contingent’s backbone. Russian observer posts have been stationed along the engagement line in Nagorno-Karabakh and the Lachin corridor connecting Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh for monitoring compliance with the ceasefire agreement. The peacekeeping operation’s command center is near Stepanakert.