Ceasefire and Russian peacekeepers: what is known about the situation around Nagorno-Karabakh

On November 10, an agreement between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Russian President Vladimir Putin on a ceasefire in the conflict zone in Karabakh came into effect.

According to the document, the sides cease hostilities, stop at occupied positions and exchange prisoners.

The agreement also provides for the dispatch of Russian peacekeepers to the line of contact.

The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that they were sending peacekeepers, as well as special equipment and cars, to Karabakh on Il-76 planes.

1,960 servicemen, 90 armored personnel carriers, 380 units of automobile and special equipment will be transferred to the conflict zone.

The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, noted that the dispatch of Russian peacekeepers to Nagorno-Karabakh was carried out within the framework of international law and on the basis of a resolution of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation of September 30, 2015.

Vladimir Putin, commenting on the agreements reached during the SCO summit, said that what is happening in Karabakh is a great tragedy.

“I hope that all the steps we have taken recently will lead to the establishment of a long-term peace for the benefit of the peoples of Azerbaijan and Armenia,” the president said.

In addition, he stated the need to support Ilham Aliyev and Nikol Pashinyan in their determination to create conditions for a peaceful settlement of the conflict.

“Indeed, in order to resolve such complex conflicts tied in a tight knot in a peaceful way, it is necessary to find compromises, to reach these compromises.

This, in turn, requires the courage of those who make decisions, ”Putin stressed.

In turn, Ilham Aliyev, during the signing of the armistice agreement, said that it puts an end to the settlement of the long-term conflict, and also expressed gratitude to Vladimir Putin for his active participation in the search for ways for de-escalation in previous years.

“I am sure that the role of the Russian Federation in further activities in the region, including for overcoming the consequences of the conflict and normalizing relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, will also be significant,” he said.

Nikol Pashinyan, commenting on the agreement on his Facebook, noted that this decision was extremely difficult for him, and explained that he signed the document, since the army "in fact, insisted on making such a decision."

The prime minister specified that the country had problems with mobilizing a reserve to continue the hostilities.

Later, on the air of the Russia 1 TV channel, Pashinyan noted that Yerevan made the decision to stop in the Karabakh conflict in time.

He called for lessons to be learned from the current situation, and said that if the document had not been signed now, the situation could have become even worse.

The names of the fallen pilots

At a meeting with the leadership of the Defense Ministry and defense industry enterprises, Vladimir Putin honored a minute of silence in memory of the crew of the Russian Mi-24 helicopter shot down over the territory of Armenia.

“You know that yesterday, as a result of a tragic incident, two of our comrades, the pilots who served at the Russian military base in Armenia, were killed.

This is Major Yury Viktorovich Ishuk, the crew commander, and senior lieutenant Fedin Roman Vasilyevich, "RIA Novosti quotes him.

Putin added that as a result of the incident, the pilot-operator was injured.

The head of state wished him a speedy recovery.

The President also instructed Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to provide assistance to the families of the victims.

"The President of Azerbaijan assured me that a thorough investigation will be carried out within the framework of the initiated criminal case, the perpetrators will be punished," the President said.

Let us remind that on the eve of the Mi-24 of Russia it was shot down in the air space over the territory of Armenia outside the combat zone.

The Azerbaijani side admitted that it accidentally shot down a Russian helicopter, apologized and expressed its readiness to pay compensation to Russia.

The Prosecutor General's Office of Azerbaijan has opened a criminal case.

The Russian Foreign Ministry, commenting on the situation, said that it positively assesses the fact that Baku immediately admitted guilt, and confirmed that Azerbaijan promised to conduct an operational investigation of the incident.

Protests in Yerevan

After Pashinyan announced the signing of an armistice agreement, a protest rally of those dissatisfied with the end of hostilities in Karabakh began in Yerevan, which escalated into riots.

Some of the demonstrators broke into the building of the Armenian government, the protesters beat the speaker of the parliament Ararat Mirzoyan.

Iveta Tonoyan, a member of the Prosperous Armenia Party, called on Pashinyan to resign.

The prime minister said during a live broadcast on Facebook that he had no choice but to sign the agreement.

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“I can say a lot, but I will be silent so as not to endanger people's lives,” Pashinyan said, commenting on the reasons for the decision.

He also promised that all the instigators of the pogroms in Yerevan will be severely punished.

At the same time, on the afternoon of November 10, protesters gathered again in the center of Yerevan with a demand to denounce the ceasefire agreement, approved by Pashinyan.