Sputnik has obtained footage of Russian peacekeepers operating outside the Karabakh capital of Stepanakert.
The footage shows Russian troops as well as armoured personnel carriers standing by, with the vehicles’ Russian flags clearly visible, and yellow/blue ‘MC’ logos painted on their side, MC being the Russian acronym for ‘Peacekeeping Forces’. In some scenes, local security forces are seen conversing with residents.
As of Friday afternoon, Russia has sent more than 1,100 peacekeepers into the region along with 1,168 pieces of military and support equipment. Russia plans to deploy a total of 1,960 peacekeepers to the territory. These forces are expected to stay in Nagorno-Karabakh for at least five years, with their presence automatically renewed unless one of the parties to the conflict objects. Russia agreed to send the peacekeeping forces to the region after facilitating a ceasefire agreement between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, with both countries agreeing to see Russia as a neutral arbiter.
The 30-year-old crisis in Karabakh escalated in late September, with Armenia and Azerbaijan accusing one another of starting the hostilities along the line of contact. The conflict began in the late Soviet era, when an explosion of nationalism saw the ethnic Armenian-majority autonomous territory attempt to break away from Baku's control.
