Russia brokered a truce between Armenia and Azerbaijan Tuesday after deadly clashes prompted Yerevan to ask Moscow for military assistance in a new flare-up between the Caucasus neighbors that fought a 44-day war last year.
The Russian Defense Ministry said that fighting had stopped in the area after negotiations with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, Tass reported. Armenia’s Defense Ministry said a truce took effect at 6:30 p.m. local time.
Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the crisis in a phone call with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, the Kremlin said.
That call came after Armenia appealed for Russian assistance under a 1997 mutual defense treaty. There was no immediate official response from Moscow.
Armenia’s Defense Ministry said it lost two military positions and one soldier was killed. Another 12 were captured by Azeri forces, it said.
The Azeri Defense Ministry said Armenians were leaving their military positions “in panic.”
Tensions remain high between Azerbaijan and Armenia after six weeks of fighting last year that killed over 6,000 troops on both sides. Azerbaijan reclaimed control of parts of the mountainous region of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding territory before Russia brokered a cease-fire a year ago, deploying 2,000 troops to maintain peace.
