Nagorno-Karabakh accept Russia ceasefire plan after Azerbaijan offensive

Azerbaijan started a military operation in the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh on Tuesday. On Wednesday, the government of Nagorno-Karabakh agreed to a ceasefire plan made by Russian peacekeepers.

Azerbaijan started what it called a "anti-terrorist" operation against separatist forces in Nagorno-Karabakh on Tuesday. Local officials said that hundreds of people were killed in this campaign. As of Wednesday night, at least 200 people had died, including 10 civilians, and more than 400 had been hurt, according to the office of the Ombudsman in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Representatives of the Armenian community in Nagorno-Karabakh will meet with Azerbaijani officials on Thursday in the city of Yevlakh "to talk about reintegration issues under the constitution and laws of Azerbaijan," according to a statement from Azerbaijan.

The Nagorno-Karabakh presidency said Tuesday that its forces were "outnumbered several times over" as they tried to protect the area from Azerbaijani troops.

"Unfortunately, the Defense Army has also lost people, and in some places the enemy was able to break through Defense Army outposts and take control of several heights and important road junctions," the report said.

"In the current situation, what the world community is doing to end the war and solve the problem is not enough. Taking this into account, the government of the Republic of Artsakh has agreed to the Russian peacekeeping contingent's request for a ceasefire, according to the Nagorno-Karabakh Presidential Office. 

Nikol Pashinyan, the prime minister of Armenia, said that his country had nothing to do with making the deal.

Pashinyan said on TV that the text of the agreement "incorrectly mentions the Armenian Armed Forces, even though Armenia has no military presence in Nagorno-Karabakh."

Since August 2021, Armenia has not had an army in Nagorno-Karabakh. "But no matter what, we take note of this statement and the fact that the Nagorno-Karabakh government has accepted it," Pashinyan said.

Baku said that Armenia's armed forces had been "systematically shelling" Azerbaijani troops, but Armenia's foreign ministry said in a statement on Tuesday that Armenia only gives "humanitarian" help to Nagorno-Karabakh, not military help.