The Security Council of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic has sent a formal appeal to Russian President Vladimir Putin, urging an expansion of the Russian stabilization mission in the region. This request was conveyed through a statement released by the NKR Information Center via its Telegram channel.
The council emphasized that the current peacekeeping contingent is not enough to carry out the mission effectively in the contested area. The message urged Moscow to reassess the scale of the Russian deployment and to augment both personnel and the equipment available to support them, as well as the facilities that host the troops.
Officials in the region indicated a willingness to cooperate with the peacekeepers, offering help to ensure that the residents and units involved have the necessary living conditions and logistical support to sustain the mission on the ground.
Reports indicate that former Russian President Vladimir Putin held two phone conversations with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to discuss the Karabakh situation. The discussions took place on Thursday and Friday, with other high-level talks taking place around the same time.
Additionally, it was noted that Sergei Shoigu, the Russian Defense Minister, spoke with his Armenian counterpart, Suren Papikyan, regarding defense and security matters related to the region. These discussions reflect ongoing efforts to align regional security measures and address the evolving dynamics on the ground.
Earlier in March, the Armenian Foreign Ministry announced a disruption in gas supplies to Nagorno-Karabakh within the Shushi region, a step that has contributed to a humanitarian crisis for residents amid cold weather and snowfall. The ministry reported that roughly 120,000 people were affected by the cutoff, underscoring the urgency of humanitarian considerations in tandem with security concerns.