Russian peacekeepers complete withdrawal from Karabakh

Azerbaijan announced that the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Karabakh has completed its withdrawal from the region. The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry confirmed in a statement that all Russian personnel, weapons and equipment have left the country.

In April 2024, Russia initiated the process of fully withdrawing its peacekeepers from Karabakh. The Russian contingent was originally deployed following the 2020 conflict when Azerbaijan regained significant territory in Karabakh after nearly three decades under Armenian occupation.

Historical context and recent developments

Relations between Baku and Yerevan have been tense since 1991, following the Armenian military occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, along with seven surrounding regions.

Most of the territory was liberated by Azerbaijan during a 44-day war in the fall of 2020. The conflict concluded with a Russia-Türkiye brokered peace agreement, paving the way for normalization and talks on delimitation and demarcation.

Last September, Azerbaijan established full sovereignty in Karabakh after an “anti-terrorist operation,” leading to the surrender of separatist forces in the region.