Russian peacekeepers have entered Stepanakert

13 November 2020

 

The main forces of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Nagorno-Karabakh continue to deploy in their area of responsibility, in particular, the peacekeeping battalion of the 15th Independent Motorized Rifle Brigade, having marched into the city of Stepanakert, and its advance units, having reached the city of Shushi, began to deploy observation posts, Major General Igor Konashenkov, the spokesperson for the Russian Defense Ministry, told reporters.


"The deployment of the main forces of the Russian peacekeeping contingent is continuing. The Peacekeepers Battalion of the 15th Independent Motorized Rifle Brigade entered the city of Stepanakert after marching at 17:00," Konashenkov said. According to him, 10 observation posts are deployed along the line of contact in Nagorno-Karabakh and the Lachin corridor. Forward units of the peacekeeping brigade marched along the route Goris-Sus-Geitala-Lysogorsk pass southwestern outskirts of Shusha and began deploying four observation posts in the South Caucasus zone of responsibility," he said.


Units of the peacekeeping force took control of the Lachin corridor and the Lachin-Lysogorsky road section. Six temporary observation posts have been set up there.


Konashenkov added that Russian peacekeepers who had arrived in Armenia were marching to Goris. "The units of the 2nd Battalion of the peacekeeping force that arrived today, after being unloaded at the Erebuni airfield, are marching 300 kilometers to the concentration area near the settlement of Goris," he said.


Konashenkov said continuous interaction with the general headquarters of the armed forces of Azerbaijan and Armenia was organized through direct channels of communication in order to perform peacekeeping tasks, prevent possible incidents and ensure the security of Russian servicemen.


"The National Center of Defense Departments of the Russian Federation coordinates actions for the fulfillment of peacekeeping tasks and monitoring of the situation in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone around the clock," the official representative of the Defense Ministry said.


How the peacekeeping operation goes


Konashenkov said that Russian military transport aircraft (MTA) made more than 20 flights per day, transporting more than 370 peacekeepers and more than 50 pieces of equipment for the peacekeeping operation in Nagorno-Karabakh.


According to the representative of the military department, a total of 56 flights have been made since the beginning of the peacekeeping operation, 817 servicemen and 119 units of arms and military equipment have been transported, as well as eight helicopters of the army aviation of the Russian Air Force Mi-8 and Mi-24.


The general specified that the engineering staff had prepared the helicopters for operation and they had already flown to the base airfields.


"Army aviation crews have performed training flights and are ready to perform their tasks," Konashenkov said.

 

GSV "Russia - Islamic World"

Photo: Creative Commons

Based on materials from TASS