Context

Recently, the Russian peacekeepers have begun withdrawing from Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Russian Peacekeepers Started withdrawal from Nagorno-Karabakh

Russian troops had begun leaving positions held as part of a Russia-brokered 2020 ceasefire between Baku (Capital of Azerbaijan) and Yerevan (Capital of Armenia).

• Russia had deployed a 2,000-strong peacekeeping force as part of a deal to end a bloody six-week offensive in 2020 that saw Azerbaijani forces seize regions of Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding areas.
• Last September, Baku took over the territory in a lightning one-day offensive that triggered a refugee crisis. Almost the entire local population of around 100,000 ethnic Armenians left for Armenia, fearing reprisals and repression.

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About Nagorno-Karabakh

Nagorno-Karabakh, known as Artsakh by Armenians, is a mountainous region at the southern end of the Karabakh mountain range, within Azerbaijan.

• Recognition: The territory is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan but was home to a majority Armenian population and controlled by pro-Yerevan separatists for nearly three decades. 
  • They have their own government which is close to Armenia but not officially recognised by Armenia or any other country.
• Significance: Several gas and oil pipelines across the Caucasus (the region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea) to Turkey and Europe are built by the energy-rich Azerbaijan.