Russian peacekeepers have escorted buses carrying refugees returning to their homes in Nagorno-Karabakh [(Artsakh)] from Armenia, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.

On Tuesday, 566 people were transported by buses from Yerevan to Stepanakert. These buses were escorted by Russian peacekeepers and military police patrols.

More than 39,700 refugees have already returned to Nagorno-Karabakh so far.

Russian peacekeepers are monitoring—at 23 observation posts—the situation around the clock and the maintenance of the ceasefire.

Also, Russian peacekeepers are ensuring the safe return of civilians to their places of permanent residence, humanitarian aid is being provided, and civilian infrastructure is being restored.

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— which Azerbaijan had launched on September 27—in and around Artsakh. Accordingly, Russian peacekeepers are deployed in the region to monitor the implementation of the ceasefire and the cessation of hostilities.