Russia Quietly Exits Karabakh, Ceding Its Clout 'For Good'

Source: International Business Times

Moscow deployed the 2,000-strong peacekeeping contingent in Karabakh as part of a 2020 ceasefire deal AFP When Russian troops deployed to Nagorno-Karabakh four years ago, their task was clear: keep the peace between bitter foes Armenia and Azerbaijan and prevent another war in the volatile region. But as Azerbaijani forces swept through mountainous Karabakh last September and crushed Armenian separatist forces in a matter of hours, the Russian mission looked lost. The Kremlin this week quietly confirmed that the peacekeepers were withdrawing, taking with them their weapons and hardware, as well as Russian clout from a region it long considered its own backyard.