Armenia seeks Russian action over Azerbaijani 'incursion'

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Armenia called on Russian peacekeepers today, on Monday, in Nagorno-Karabakh to take "concrete steps" after Azerbaijani forces seized control of a strategic village in the breakaway region.

Azerbaijani troops occupied the village of Farukh in Nagorno-Karabakh on Thursday, escalating tensions in the region amid Russia's military operation in Ukraine.

The area is under the control of Russian forces, who were stationed in Karabakh as part of a Moscow-brokered ceasefire that halted weeks of conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Province in late 2020.

Azerbaijan's forces had been withdrawn from the settlement, according to Russia's Defense Ministry, although Baku claimed control of the area.

Armenia's Foreign Ministry demanded an "examination into the Russian peacekeeping contingent's conduct during the Azerbaijani incursion" in a statement issued on Monday, noting that Azerbaijani troops remained in the area.

"We expect Russia's peacekeeping contingent in Nagorno-Karabakh to take concrete steps to put an end to Azerbaijani units' incursion into the zone of responsibility of peacekeepers," the statement said.

With its military fully engaged in Ukraine, a big flare-up in Karabakh might represent a challenge for Russia.

Following the 2020 conflict over the long-contested enclave, which lost more than 6,500 lives, Moscow sent 2,000 peacekeepers to the territory.