Hundreds of Russian peacekeepers were en route to the ethnic Armenian territory, which broke from Azerbaijan's control during a war in the 1990s, just hours after an early morning ceasefire took effect on Tuesday.
However, the agreement sparked outrage in Armenia, with angry protesters storming the government headquarters in the capital Yerevan where they ransacked offices and broke windows.
Crowds also entered parliament and demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who earlier described his participation in the accord as "unspeakably painful for me personally and for our people".
🇦🇿🇦🇲 DERNIÈRE MINUTE 🇷🇺
— ⓃⒺⓌⓈ—ⒾⓃⓉ·۰•●🌐 (@NewsInt_) November 9, 2020
⚠️Fin des hostilités à Nagorno Karabakh .
Le Premier ministre arménien Nikol Pashinyan vient d'annoncer qu'il avait pris une décision difficile et signé un accord "douloureux" avec Poutine et Aliyev pour mettre fin à la guerre. pic.twitter.com/fdVH0cyQPG
"I have taken this decision as a result of an in-depth analysis of the military situation," he added.
Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev said Pashinyan had been left with no choice but to agree.
Forced to accept by 'an iron hand'
"An iron hand forced him to sign this document," Aliyev said in televised remarks. "This is essentially a capitulation."
Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed that both Armenia and Azerbaijan had agreed to "a total ceasefire" that would create the conditions for a long-term settlement of the conflict.
Putin said the two sides would hold on to areas under their control and that Russian peacekeepers would deploy along frontlines and to secure a corridor connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenian territory.
Exchanges of prisoners, bodies
Putin said displaced people would be allowed to return to the region and there would be exchanges of prisoners and bodies.
Russian news agencies quoted the defence ministry as saying 1,960 peacekeepers would be deployed with 90 armoured vehicles.
The ministry said several Il-76 aircraft carrying the first peacekeepers and their equipment had taken off from an airfield in Russia.
Aliyev said Armenia had agreed to a timetable to withdraw its forces from large parts of Nagorno-Karabakh and that Azerbaijan's ally Turkey would be involved in implementing the ceasefire.
Turkey salutes 'significant gains'
Turkey on Tuesday hailed the "significant gains" achieved by Azerbaijan's forces, saying those victories had paved the way to the peace deal with Armenia.
"Our dear Azerbaijan achieved significant gains in the field and at the negotiating table," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu tweeted. "I wholeheartedly congratulate this blessed success."
