Armenia and Azerbaijan have stopped fighting in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone, and units of the armed forces of the two countries have been stopped at the occupied lands, said Sergey Rudskoy, the head of the Main operational Department of the General staff of the Russian Armed forces.
"Currently, the fighting has been stopped by both sides. Units of the armed forces of Azerbaijan and Armenia are stopped at the occupied lands," Rudskoy said at a briefing on Wednesday.
According to him, "a peacekeeping contingent of the Russian Federation is being deployed to the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh and the Lachin corridor to monitor the implementation of the ceasefire agreements and military operations."
According to Rudskoy, Russian peacekeepers took control of the Lachin corridor and the section of the Lachin - Lysogorsky state farm road. "To date, advanced units of the Russian Armed forces contingent have taken control of the Lachin corridor and the Lachin - Lysogorsky state farm road section with temporary observation posts," he said.
According to him, "the units of the first peacekeeping battalion of the 15th separate motorized rifle brigade, after unloading at the Erebuni airfield, made a three-hundred-kilometer march and are completing their concentration in the area of the settlement of Goris."
Russian peacekeepers will use drones to monitor the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh. "The Russian contingent is based on units of the 15th separate motorized rifle brigade of the Central military district. The total number is 1,960 military personnel, 90 armored personnel carriers, 380 units of the automobile and special equipment. To ensure the implementation of peacekeeping tasks, it is also planned to use army aviation and complexes with unmanned aerial vehicles, " Rudskoy said.
About peacemakers
Rudskoy said that more than 400 Russian peacekeepers, eight helicopters, and more than 50 vehicles and special equipment were deployed to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone during the day. "During the day, 27 sorties were made. 414 military personnel, 54 units of the automobile and special equipment, eight helicopters, as well as two complexes of unmanned aerial vehicles were transported," he said.
According to him, the National defense management center of the Russian Federation "organized interaction with the relevant ministries and departments, which made it possible to organize the transfer of a peacekeeping contingent to the conflict zone as soon as possible."
Rudskoy said that almost all Russian peacekeepers sent to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone have Syrian experience. "Almost all military personnel have experience in performing tasks to ensure and protect humanitarian operations in the Syrian Arab Republic," he stressed.
According to him, the personnel "received special training in studying and observing the norms of international humanitarian law in armed conflicts."
"The peacekeeping contingent is equipped with the most modern weapons, military and special equipment, including BTR-82A armored personnel carriers, tiger and Typhoon armored vehicles, and is provided with all the necessary types of allowances," Rudskoy said.
Communication channel
Rudskoy said that the Russian military operating in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone established direct channels of communication with the General staffs of the armed forces of Azerbaijan and Armenia to prevent incidents and ensure the safety of peacekeepers.
"Continuous interaction with the General staffs of the armed forces of Azerbaijan and Armenia has been organized to perform peacekeeping tasks, prevent possible incidents and ensure the safety of Russian servicemen. Direct communication channels have been established, " he said.
"Together with the Armenian and Azerbaijani sides, work has been organized to clarify the parameters of the peacekeeping operation," Rudskoy said.
According to him, the General staff of the Russian Armed forces "deployed a combat control group that monitors the situation around the clock."
"The General staff has planned all necessary measures to ensure the safety of Russian military personnel. The personnel of the peacekeeping contingent understands the full responsibility of the tasks assigned to them and is ready to perform them in strict accordance with the agreements reached," Rudskoy said.
Observation post
According to him, 16 observation posts will be set up along the line of contact between the parties in Nagorno-Karabakh and along the Lachin corridor. "In order to monitor compliance with the agreements between Armenia and Azerbaijan, it is planned to set up sixteen observation posts in the "North" and "South" areas of responsibility. They will be placed along the line of contact of the parties in Nagorno-Karabakh and along the Lachin corridor, " Rudskoy said.
These posts, Rudskoy said, "are charged with collecting information on cases of violations of the ceasefire, promptly communicating this data to the command of the peacekeeping forces, as well as maintaining the safety of transit transport and stopping illegal actions against the civilian population".
"This will contribute to an early transition to peaceful life and the return of refugees," Rudskoy said.
He added that observation posts of peacekeepers are planned to be deployed from November 12 to ensure the safety of the civilian population in the zone of responsibility "South", where two days ago there were active hostilities.
Military police
Russian military police units are included in the peacekeeping contingent that is sent to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone. "Military police units that are part of the peacekeeping contingent will also perform tasks in the area of the peacekeeping operation. They are charged with conducting patrols along the contact line of the parties, escorting convoys and cargo, " Rudskoy said.
"To manage the operation, the command of the peacekeeping forces was created, which included officers with extensive experience in leading troops in armed conflicts," he said.
Rudskoy recalled that on the morning of November 10, the transfer of the Russian peacekeeping contingent from the Ulyanovsk airfield to the Erebuni airfield in Armenia began with Il-76 and An-124 military transport aircraft of the Russian aerospace forces.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: AP / TASS
Based on materials from TASS