Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Federation on the situation in Karabakh

Moscow / 24.12.20 / Turan: Russian peacekeepers prevented a humanitarian catastrophe in Nagorno-Karabakh, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov said at a briefing for foreign attachés on Thursday.

"Today, the Lachin corridor and the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh are fully controlled by the units of Russian peacekeepers," Gerasimov said. He stressed that the peacekeepers were brought in to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe and protect the local population; they ensure the implementation of ceasefire and hostilities agreements at 23 observation posts. According to him, more than 43 thousand people have already returned to Nagorno-Karabakh.

"To ensure the safe life of the population, work is underway to clean up territories and roads from explosive objects. At present, over 280 hectares of territory and more than 100 kilometers of roads have been cleared. About 9 thousand explosive objects have been discovered and neutralized," Gerasimov said.

“A command and control system has been deployed to manage the peacekeeping operation, which makes it possible to quickly respond to changes in the situation,” he stressed.

Gerasimov added that the General Staff has organized interaction and established direct communication channels with the military departments of Azerbaijan and Armenia.-02D-