A total of 502 displaced persons on Tuesday returned to the Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) capital Stepanakert from Armenia, Armenpress reported, citing the Russian Defense Ministry.

It is noted that a convoy consisting of 24 buses headed from Armenia’s capital Yerevan to the main square of Stepanakert, and it was accompanied by a Russian peacekeeping contingent and military police.

The safe return of displaced persons and the safe movement toward line of contact of civilians returning to their homes is organized under the direction and oversight of the Interdepartmental Humanitarian Response Centre.

It is noted that as of November 14, more than 1,700 residents, who had fled their homes earlier, have returned to Stepanakert.

The safe movement of these buses was ensured by the Russian military.

On November 9, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a joint statement on a complete cessation of hostilities in and around Artsakh. Accordingly, Russian peacekeepers will be deployed in the region to monitor the implementation of the ceasefire and the cessation of hostilities. But this statement also stipulates the handover of part of Artsakh lands to Azerbaijan.