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The Russian Ministry of Defense has criticized Azerbaijan for violating the 2020 ceasefire agreement with Armenia on the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.
The Azerbaijani Armed Force advanced in the area of responsibility of the Russian peacekeepers, who were deployed in Nagorno-Karabakh under the ceasefire agreement, capturing the village of Farukh on March 24. The following day, Azerbaijani combat drones carried out a series of strikes on the region that claimed the lives of three soldiers of the unrecognized Artsakh Defense Army.
In a statement released on March 26, the Russian MoD said that the command of the Russian peacekeeping mission in Nagorno-Karabakh is taking measures to resolve the escalation.
“The command of the Russian peacekeeping contingent is currently taking measures to resolve the situation and get the troops retreat to their initial positions. Azerbaijan has been sent a call to withdraw troops,” the statement said.
Also on March 26, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan discussed the recent escalation in Nagorno-Karabakh with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a phone call.
“During the conversation, they discussed the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, which is unfolding in the zone of responsibility of the Russian peacekeepers as a result of an advance by Azerbaijan’s Armed Forces. Prime Minister Pashinyan described the situation as tense,” the Armenian government said in a statement.
The Russian MoD statement on the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh was condemned by the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan, who called it “one-sided”.
The Azerbaijani MoD accused Armenian forces of carrying out an attack on its troops on March 26 in violation of the ceasefire agreement. Moreover, the MoD said that the presence of Armenian forces in the disputed region in itself is a violation of the agreement, calling on them to withdraw.
“The MoD of the Republic of Azerbaijan requests the MoD of the Russian Federation to completely withdraw the remnants of the Armenian army and illegal Armenian armed detachments from the territory of Azerbaijan recognized by the international community,” the Azerbaijani MoD said in a statement released on March 27.
Azerbaijan’s recent military moves in Nagorno-Karabakh didn’t trigger Russia only. A Telegram channel affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps hinted that the Islamic republic may support Armenia against any future Azerbaijani attack.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran has repeatedly stated it will not tolerate changing the borders of neighboring countries.
Any military invasion of Armenia will be met with a reaction from the Iranian armed forces,” the channel said in a post.
The recent developments suggest that Azerbaijan is be trying to take advantage of the war in Ukraine, which reportedly led Russia to withdraw some of its troops from Nagorno-Karabakh. Baku may be preparing to to renew its attack on Armenian forces in the region with support from its main ally, Turkey.
