麻豆影视

Skip to main content

Russia begins withdrawing peacekeeping forces from Karabakh, now under full Azerbaijan control

A view of Russian peacekeepers base just outside Khankendi, Azerbaijan on Monday, Oct. 2, 2023 which is also known as Stepanakert, Karabakh to Armenians. (AP Photo/Aziz Karimov) A view of Russian peacekeepers base just outside Khankendi, Azerbaijan on Monday, Oct. 2, 2023 which is also known as Stepanakert, Karabakh to Armenians. (AP Photo/Aziz Karimov)
Share
MOSCOW -

Russian forces are being withdrawn from Azerbaijan's Karabakh region, where they have been stationed as peacekeepers since the end of a war in 2020, officials of both countries said Wednesday.

In a conference call with journalists, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed reports of the withdrawal but did not give further details. Hikmet Hajiyev, the head of foreign policy in Azerbaijan's presidential administration, also confirmed the withdrawal, saying it was agreed to by both countries.

Hajiyev did not say why the forces were being withdrawn, but their presence appeared superfluous after Azerbaijan regained full control of the region last year.

The Karabakh region had been under the control of ethnic Armenians until a war in 2020 that resulted in Azerbaijan regaining control of parts of the region.

That war ended with a Russia-brokered cease-fire that called for placing about 2,000 peacekeeping troops in the parts of Karabakh that were still held by Armenians. The forces' duties were to include ensuring free passage on the sole road connecting Karabakh with Armenia.

But Azerbaijan began blocking the road in late 2022, alleging Armenians were using it for weapons shipments and to smuggle minerals, and the Russian forces did not intervene.

After months of increasingly dire food and medicine shortages in Karabakh due to the blockade, Azerbaijan launched a lighting blitz in September 2023 that forced the Karabakh Armenian authorities to capitulate after one day in negotiations mediated by Russian forces.

Almost all of Karabakh's 50,000 ethnic Armenian residents fled the region within days.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

A team of tornado experts is heading to Fergus, Ont. after a storm ripped through the area Sunday night.

Why brain aging can vary dramatically between people

Researchers are uncovering deeper insights into how the human brain ages and what factors may be tied to healthier cognitive aging, including exercising, avoiding tobacco, speaking a second language or even playing a musical instrument.

Local Spotlight

For the second year in a row, the 鈥楪ift-a-Family鈥 campaign is hoping to make the holidays happier for children and families in need throughout Barrie.

Some of the most prolific photographers behind CTV Skywatch Pics of the Day use the medium for fun, therapy, and connection.

A young family from Codroy Valley, N.L., is happy to be on land and resting with their newborn daughter, Miley, after an overwhelming, yet exciting experience at sea.

As Connor Nijsse prepared to remove some old drywall during his garage renovation, he feared the worst.

A group of women in Chester, N.S., has been busy on the weekends making quilts 鈥 not for themselves, but for those in need.

A Vancouver artist whose streetside singing led to a chance encounter with one of the world's biggest musicians is encouraging aspiring performers to try their hand at busking.

Ten-thousand hand-knit poppies were taken from the Sanctuary Arts Centre and displayed on the fence surrounding the Dartmouth Cenotaph on Monday.

A Vancouver man is saying goodbye to his nine-to-five and embarking on a road trip from the Canadian Arctic to Antarctica.