TASS, Russia
Nov 19 2020
Overall, the defense agency says more than 2,600 people who earlier fled their homes have returned to Stepanakert since November 14
MOSCOW, November 18. /TASS/. Another bus column with 936 refugees onboard has arrived to Stepanakert escorted by Russian peacekeepers, the Russian Defense Ministry reported Wednesday.
"On , 936 more refugees returned to Nagorno-Karabakh from Armenia, as 23 buses travelled from Yerevan to Stepanakert’s main square escorted by patrols of the Russian peacekeeping contingent and military police," the agency said.
The Russian inter-agency humanitarian response center is overseeing the refugees’ security as they return to the disputed region and travel across the line of contact.
Overall, the defense agency says more than 2,600 people who earlier fled their homes have returned to Stepanakert since November 14.
Renewed clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia erupted on September 27 in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. 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 1,960 Russian peacekeepers would be deployed to the region. Besides, Baku and Yerevan must exchange prisoners and the bodies of those killed.
The Russian peacekeeping contingent in Nagorno-Karabakh will mainly comprise units of the 15th separate motor rifle (peacekeeping) brigade of the Central Military District, Russia’s Defense Ministry said.
The Russian peacekeepers have set up observation posts along the engagement line in Nagorno-Karabakh and along the Lachin corridor that connects Armenia with the enclave to exercise control of the ceasefire observance. The peacekeeping mission’s command has been deployed in the area of Stepanakert. The Russian peacekeepers are monitoring the situation round-the-clock.