Over 850 Refugees returned to Nagorno-Karabakh in past 24 hours

Moscow:More than 850 refugees have returned to Stepanakert, the capital of the breakaway republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, within the past 24 hours with the assistance from Russian peacekeepers, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday.

"Russian peacekeepers escorted regular buses with refugees returning to Nagorno-Karabakh from the territory of the Republic of Armenia. In total, 859 people arrived from Yerevan to Stepanakert on buses," the ministry said in a statement.

The buses were escorted by patrols of Russian peacekeepers and military police.Overall, over 34,000 refugees have already returned to their homes in Nagorno-Karabakh.

In November, Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed to a ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh, putting an end to the six-week war over the disputed area. The agreement resulted in the loss of most territories controlled by the self-proclaimed republic and stipulated deployment of Russian peacekeepers to the region.

After the hostilities had ceased, Armenian refugees started to return to Nagorno-Karabakh, with Russian peacekeepers ensuring their safety.SPUTNIK