IL-76 planes of the Russian Armed Forces have already transported more than 400 Russian peacekeepers to Armenia, this according to a Russian Defense Ministry statement.

"Currently, 20 IL-76 aircraft of military transport planes have landed in the Republic of Armenia with units of the 15th peacekeeping brigade of the Russian peacekeeping command," the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry noted that about 2,000 servicemen, 90 armored personnel carriers, as well as 380 units of special vehicles will be transported to the peacekeeping mission in the Artsakh conflict zone. Most of the personnel of the peacekeeping mission will be subdivisions of the 15th separate motorized rifle brigade of the Central Military District.

According to the ministry, in order to monitor the agreements reached to maintain the ceasefire, Russian observation posts will be located along the entire line of contact of Nagorno Karabakh, through the Berdzor corridor. The command headquarters of the peacekeeping forces will be in Stepanakert. They will be deployed for five years, with the possibility of further five-year extensions.

Earlier, three military transport planes transported more than 80 peacekeepers to the conflict zone. The command staff of the Russian peacekeeping mission had already arrived in Armenia.

Photo: Reuters