Russian Peacekeepers End Deployment in Nagorno-Karabakh as Ceasefire Monitoring Center Closes

Russian peacekeepers have ended their deployment in Nagorno-Karabakh, as the ceasefire monitoring center with Turkey has closed on April 27, 2024. The Russian peacekeepers were established in November 2020 following a Moscow-brokered deal that halted six weeks of fighting between Azerbaijan and ethnic Armenian forces.

The closure of the ceasefire monitoring center marks the end of the Russian peacekeeping mission in the region, which was in place since the 2020 agreement. Nearly 2,000 Russian peacekeeping troops were sent to the region, but despite their deployment, Azerbaijan retook Karabakh by force in September 2023, triggering an exodus of at least 100,000 ethnic Armenians and the arrest of the breakaway area's ethnic Armenian leaders.

The decision to end the peacekeeping mission was announced earlier this month and was set to run until 2025. The final group of peacekeepers is expected to leave by the end of May, as Armenia and Azerbaijan continue to work towards a peace deal to end the long-standing conflict over Karabakh.

The closure of the monitoring center was marked by a ceremony attended by military officials from Russia, Turkey, and Azerbaijan. Sergey Istrakov, Russia's Deputy Chief of General Staff, stated that the center had been an example of successful cooperation between the three countries' militaries and that all assigned tasks were solved in a businesslike and friendly manner.

Why this matters: The end of the Russian peacekeeping mission and closure of the ceasefire monitoring center in Nagorno-Karabakh marks a significant shift in the region's dynamics. As Armenia and Azerbaijan inch towards a peace deal, the future stability and security of Nagorno-Karabakh remain uncertain.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev announced that Baku plans to bring 20,000 Azerbaijani citizens, former internally displaced persons, back to Nagorno-Karabakh by the end of 2024. So far, 6,000 former internally displaced persons have already returned to the region, and the process is ongoing. Aliyev emphasized that the reconstruction of Karabakh is a nationwide challenge for Azerbaijan, with 12 billion manat ($7 billion) already earmarked for the region. In 2024, $2.4 billion is planned to be allocated for reconstruction work in Karabakh.

Key Takeaways

• Russian peacekeepers end deployment in Nagorno-Karabakh, ceasefire monitoring center closes.
• Russian peacekeeping mission in place since 2020 agreement, but Azerbaijan retook Karabakh in 2023.
• Closure marks end of Russian peacekeeping role, Armenia and Azerbaijan work towards peace deal.
• Azerbaijan plans to resettle 20,000 displaced persons in Karabakh by end of 2024.
• $7 billion earmarked for Karabakh reconstruction, with $2.4 billion planned for 2024.