- According to media reports, a ceasefire has been agreed in the Caucasus region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
- The Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh have agreed to Azerbaijan’s demand to end the fighting and hand over their weapons, reports the Russian news agency Interfax.
- The Armenian broadcaster Sputnik Armenia also reported that there was a ceasefire.
The authorities of the internationally unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh in the South Caucasus have accepted a corresponding proposal from the Russian side, reported the Armenian news agency Armenpress, among others.
“In the current situation, the measures taken by the international community to end the war and resolve the situation are inadequate,” Armenpress quoted an official statement as saying. “Taking this into account, the authorities of the Republic of Artsakh accept the proposal of the command of the Russian peacekeeping contingent regarding a ceasefire.”
Legend:
Russian peacekeepers evacuate civilians from Nagorno-Karabakh. (Image from September 20, 2023)
IMAGO/Sipa USA
According to the Russian agency Interfax, the ceasefire officially began at 1 p.m. Armenian time (11 a.m. CEST). Accordingly, it is said to have been agreed that remaining units of the Armenian army will be withdrawn from Nagorno-Karabakh and that Karabakh fighters will hand over their weapons. It was initially unclear whether this would actually be implemented. There is still no official confirmation from the Russian side. Talks are also set to begin tomorrow, Thursday, on the reintegration of Nagorno-Karabakh into Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan launched military operations
Authoritarian-led Azerbaijan began a broad military operation to conquer Nagorno-Karabakh on Tuesday morning. Although the region is located on Azerbaijani territory, the majority of it is inhabited by Armenians. The two countries have been fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh for decades. The ceasefire after the last war in 2020, in which Azerbaijan, which was well-armed thanks to gas and oil revenues, had already conquered large parts of Karabakh, was repeatedly broken.