Press Secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov confirmed the beginning of the withdrawal of Russian peacekeeping forces from Nagorno-Karabakh. This statement followed after information appeared from Avia.pro journalists about the movement of a column of Russian military equipment through the territories adjacent to Karabakh.

The Russian peacekeeping contingent was deployed in the region in accordance with a trilateral agreement signed on November 10, 2020 by the leaders of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia. According to this document, the mission included 1960 military personnel, 90 armored personnel carriers and 380 units of automobile and special equipment.

The peacekeepers' task was to ensure security in Nagorno-Karabakh and along the Lachin corridor connecting the region with Armenia. However, as Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin said at the end of December, after Armenia officially recognized Azerbaijan’s sovereignty over Karabakh, all issues related to the peacekeeping mission began to be discussed exclusively with Baku.

The stay of Russian peacekeepers in the region expires in 2025, however, current changes in the political status of Karabakh and the agreements between the countries have led to the decision to withdraw troops early.